Naruto & The Bleach Paradox
by Antonio Quicksilver
Summary: This is the story of how Naruto met Ichigo, how they learned the truth about their lives, how their true destines were revealed & how everything changed. The story starts during the beginning of the final battle with Kaguya & the end of the Arrancar Arc. Events may be altered to suit the narrative. Happy Reading :) - AQ
1. Chapter 1

_I guess its customary... so, I don't own **Naruto** or **Bleach** , but I am a huge fan of the inspiring stories written by both **Masashi Kishimoto** sama  & **Tite Kubo** sama. That being said, this is a fanfic based in the worlds they created featuring the characters they created  & events from the cannon that I will be using to weave a fantastic **fanfiction** Lets do this dattebayo! - **AQ**  
_

* * *

 **Chapter 1: We have come this far...**

As Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura & Kakashi stood on the barren landscape in the dimension between dimensions & watched as Kaguya raged & raged... they could feel the world shaking below them as the most powerful adversary they had ever faced unleashed a power that seemed almost incomprehensible.  
Standing there, side by side with his protégés in what was nothing less than the most important battle that he had ever fought... Kakashi could not help but feel proud to see how far they had come.

Sakura, the once flimsy flower petal was standing side by side with her comrades as an equal. Her path had been the most difficult in many ways.  
She had always been chasing them. At first she had been chasing Sasuke for his affection, like a hapless novice mesmerized by the genjutsu of his good looks. She had almost dedicate her whole existence to winning his approval, but as Sasuke began to see in Naruto what Kakashi had always known was destined to rise in the son of The Fourth, he had began to feel a slight disdain for the ditsy airhead that seemed to dismiss his rival offhand, like all the others that worshiped his family name. She had looked down on Naruto for his rootless upbringing... the same rootless, lonely upbringing that he had endured.  
Soon Sasuke's eyes began to grow cold towards Sakura & perhaps out of a need to quell the icy expression of irritation that Sasuke began to gaze at her with, Sakura had begun to see Naruto as well... & soon, without realizing it, she found herself chasing not just Sasuke's heart, but Naruto's determination as well.

But of course, these where the halcyon days. The days before Orochimaru had changed their fates forever by coming to claim Sasuke's body & mark him as his vessel.  
The days before Naruto had awakened his demon & showed Sasuke a glimpse of the powers he possessed, powers that Sasuke & his juvenile sharingan lacked.  
Soon the last hope of Sakura's daydream was cut away on the edge of her own kunai, as Sasuke walked off into the distance & embraced the darkness... leaving Naruto for dead.

Kakashi looked at his rose haired apprentice... Even as the giant ball of chakra began to form above Kaguya while she screamed & cried in hatred, The Fifths apprentice stood resolute, radiating the power of her now fully released Hyakugou Seal.  
Sakura had surprised him. As Naruto had followed Jiraiya into the distance to train to fulfill his vow, Haruno Sakura had done perhaps the last thing anyone would have expected her to do... she had approached the 5th Hokage & become her disciple.  
She had taken it upon herself to no longer chase after her classmates, but to catch up to her teammates. She had walked down her own path & like her team members had become the understudy of one of The Sannin.  
It was this action that had made Kakashi finally begin to see Sakura as more than just the kunoichi in his team. It was this action that had propelled her along the path of her own destiny. It was this determination that had lead her to this point... to the point where she could stand next to Sasuke as an equal. The determination that she had inherited from Naruto.

Of course, Sasuke's path had been the most perilous. As he looked at the young Uchiha he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. He swallowed hard & looked up at their adversary, narrowing his eyes as he did. After all, it was because of her & Black Zetsu that Sasuke had almost lost his soul.

Though he had shocked the world & returned to aid the battle against the Uchiha aggressors, the mangekyou sharingan in his eye was proof that his path had tainted him forever.  
The things he had done to achieve power... The lengths he had gone to, to murder his weakness... the destruction he had sown to avenge his pain... they where things he & he alone would have to deal with & Kakashi feared, would never be able to erase. They where things that should have darkened his soul. It was a miracle indeed that he was finally here, by their sides, ready to die with them again as a member of Team 7.

Kakashi shook his head in amazement... indeed Uchiha Itachi was perhaps the greatest shinobi he had ever known. Not because of the hatred he had born to protect the village. Not because he had damned himself to protect the future. Not even because he had defied death to turn the tide of a war that they could so easily have all lost by the numbers. No... he was the greatest shinobi that ever lived because it was his sacrifice that had allowed his little brother to survive & ultimately endure. It was Uchiha Itachi that had illuminated Sasuke's path all the way to this moment of redemption.

"Kakashi sensei..." Kakashi looked to his right to see Naruto gazing at him intently. "Are you okay Kakashi sensei?" Kakashi nodded & put his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "I'm alright Naruto, I really am."  
Even as his eyes blazed with the sharingans he had inherited from his fallen, but now redeemed comrade Uchiha Obito & even as the electricity arced all around them & the ground began to tear open & spew molten rock into the sky... there was no place he would have rather been than at Naruto's side. Yes... It was Naruto's path that had been the most inspiring, albeit the most improbable.

* * *

The secret of Naruto's birth & heritage had been the most difficult mission he had been entrusted with. From the moment he had arrived in the forest & found the fallen bodies of his master & Kushina still shielding the blood soaked infant, he had vowed to dedicate his life to helping Naruto fulfill his destiny.  
Though Kakashi could still not forgive himself for being too late, he had known that all the shinobi of The Leaf had to defend the village at all costs & he had fought with everything he had to aid his comrades.  
But his mind could not stop searching for clues of his adoptive parent's whereabouts amidst all the violence & eventually he had seen the rampaging Kyuubi become entangled in the adamantine sealing chains as Kushina & Minato fought with all they had to protect Naruto.  
Without a thought he had leapt out of the battle field & across the rooftops and treetops as he raced at near break neck speed to aid his master.  
As he arrived at the horrific scene, he had taken off his mask, dropped to his knees & screamed to the heavens as tears of pain & disbelieving sorrow had fallen freely down his handsome face.

When The Third finally arrived with the victorious ninja forces, it was a catatonic Kakashi that they had found clutching Naruto in one arm as he tried in vain to resuscitate Minato & Kushina with his raiton. Holding up his arm to halt everyone's approach, Sarutobi Hiruzen had walked over to Kakashi & knelt beside him in silence for a moment before putting his hand on the young man's arm, cancelling the electric sparks enveloping his hand & had shaken his head. "Kakashi..." he had said solemnly. "There is nothing we can do." "But Orochimaru..." started the unmasked young man in desperation, visions of Rin & Obito flooding his mind.  
"KAKASHI!" interjected The Third. "It's too late." The young Hatake looked down at the infant in his arms & wiped his tears off Naruto's forehead, before clutching him tightly & raising his face to the heavens as he tried to fight back more tears. "Kakashi..." Kakashi looked at The Hokage. Hiruzen had never seen such grief from a shinobi. Indeed, he had never seen Kakashi this way. No. He had. But only one other time. It had taken him months to council the teenage Kakashi following the events of Kannabi Bridge. But this... this he knew he would never be able to save Kakashi from.

"Ka-ka-shi..." the two shinobi looked in astonishment at the body of Minato to find that he was... alive! "Sensei..." "Kaka-shi. Put on your mask." whispered Minato with a smile. As The Third motioned for the ANBU to rush to him Minato put his hand on his predecessor's knee & shook his head. "I... I used the 8 trigrams s-sealing jutsu." The 3rd Hokage's eyes widened in disbelief. "Im-a-fool I know." As he attempted to chuckle, he coughed red & Hiruzen took off his bandana to wipe his protégés face. "Sa-ru-to-bi Sen-sei... please..." Minato's eyes widened as he fought to finish his words "Naruto... let the village know... Naruto is a hero. Na-ru-to..." "Fourth..." mumbled Kakashi "Minato Sensei... MINATO SENSEI!"

Yes... Naruto was a hero. He had been born a hero. He had even lived a life of shame & rejection & continued to be a hero. Though Kakashi had wanted to take responsibility for his little brother, the meeting of the elders had concluded that Namikaze Naruto was to be hidden from the eyes of the world & he was named Uzumaki. The Third had told Kakashi that the enemies of The Fourth would want to erase his bloodline if they where to learn of "The Fourths Legacy" & indeed Kakashi would be at the mercy of his own enemies if he was to claim Naruto as his own. And so he could only watch from afar as the young man grew up with the hatred of the village for the events that had rocked the village on the day of his birth.  
Though he had ensured that Naruto was kept safe from harm, Naruto could never know that he was his hidden guardian. Indeed, between his watchful gaze, The Thirds shielding guidance & Jiraiya ensuring that Naruto was clothed, fed & had a roof over his head, "The Fourths Legacy" had been kept a secret long enough for Naruto to reach The Academy. But even this almost didn't happen.

As the day of enrollment had approached, Kakashi, fresh from an A-Rank mission to protect The Fire Nations princess had been summoned to The Hokage Mansion & assigned a B-Rank mission "Of high importance" to lead a group of builders to the boarders of The Fire Nation. Dutifully he had obliged & prepared to go... but something in the look in The Thirds eyes & in his gut had told him to delay his departure. Instead he had stopped off at his usual perch outside Naruto's window & watched as his young charge stared intently at a document on his desk before throwing the fork he had been clutching at it & running out of his apartment & heading towards the river.

As he was about to leave in the knowledge that Naruto was okay, Kakashi paused on the edge of the branch & stared at the face of The Fourth on Hokage Rock. Shaking his head, the jonin leapt through Naruto's window, landed silently on the floor & walked over to the table.  
Looking down at the paper, he smiled "Academy Enrollment Form huh?" he mused to himself. "Fourth... he wants to be a shinobi too." Smiling, Kakashi turned around & walked over to the window & was about to leap out until he suddenly realized why Naruto had been staring at the blank form so intently. "He has no one to enroll him into the academy!"  
Kakashi began to laugh. He laughed for a good long while & even had to sit on the edge of Naruto's bed as he chuckled to himself. "A B-Rank mission" he mused. "Okay. B-Rank it is!" Taking out a pen, he signed his full name in the section of "Parent/Guardian" & then, lifting up his forehead protector he activated his eye "Sharingan!" & cast a timed genjutsu on the document. "This is all I can do Naruto." he said to the quiet room & then, after making sure he removed all trace of his having been there, he left the room the way he had come in & sped across the rooftops towards his mission.

As The 3rd Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen watched Kakashi leave on his crystal ball, he smiled at his ingenuity & decided to go & find Naruto so that he could walk him home & personally retrieve his Academy Enrollment form.  
Of course Naruto would not see the name of Hatake Kakashi because of the genjutsu & neither would the chunin instructors. But by the time Naruto's form was pulled out of the pile & put aside because "unfortunately the brat has no signature to approve his entry" the gathered jonin could only whisper in astonishment as the now genjutsu free form clearly displayed the signature of Hatake Kakashi.

"What are you playing at Kakashi?!" demanded Ebisu. "The fox brat will only cause trouble if he is allowed to learn ninjutsu! Is it not enough that your father disgraced the village? Now you would copy that too... Copy Ninja Kakashi?" The normally calm Kakashi narrowed his eye & before anyone could intercept him, tackled Ebisu to the ground & landed 2 quick blows to his face, breaking both his nose & his glasses. It had taken both Maito Gai & Sarutobi Asuma to pull the two apart. Without a word, Kakashi left the room & shortly thereafter he had left the village, venturing off to find Jiraiya.  
A few years elapsed before, to the surprise of the assembled jonin, Hatake Kakashi returned to the village in the wake of the forbidden scroll incident. Without hesitation, had asked to be assigned as the jonin instructor of both Uzumaki Naruto & The Last Uchiha. After agreeing to never reveal Naruto's heritage or his role in his life to him, Kakashi was assigned as Naruto's instructor & Team 7 was born.  
It was from this new vantage point that Kakashi was able to watch Naruto embrace his destiny, as he was finally able to impart to him the knowledge The Fourth had taught him. Kakashi became the brother he had always wanted to be to Naruto & he also took the broken Uchiha child under his wing.

But destiny began to play its role & soon the world began to fall to chaos again. Soon the enemies of The Fourth began to close in on Naruto & finally, he unleashed the dormant demon inside him. Of course, the village called for Kakashi's head. He was accused of losing control of "the jinchuriki" & was even in danger of being demoted. But the timely return of Jiraiya who began instructing Naruto as well & the commencement of the chunin exams by The Third, which meant that Team 7 could not lose their jonin until they completed their trial, ultimately saved him.  
Danzo however was not willing to let it go as he felt that "the jinchuriki" would be of better use as a member of root. Unfortunately for him, the attack on The Leaf by Orochimaru & the death of The Third would forever remove the idea of removing Kakashi from Naruto's detail off the table as escalating events meant that Naruto & Sasuke's protection began to become a high priority. As the highest ranked ninja in the village apart from the Kage & The Sannin, it was agreed that Team 7 would remain with Kakashi as a matter of security.

* * *

"But besides that" Kakashi thought to himself as he looked at Naruto & marveled at the younger shinobi's golden aura "besides that, Naruto... you began to prove them wrong. You saved the village. From Kurama. From Orochimaru. From Gaara. From The Akatsuki. From Pain. Even now... you fight for them."  
Following Naruto's gaze, his eyes settled on the frightening Kaguya as she stared right back at them.  
"This time," he said aloud "we will save the world, together! Let's go... Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto!" "Hai!"

* * *

"Come Gin... let us go to the real Karakura Town" smiled Aizen as he turned away from the scene of his apparent victory over the shinigami forces. As a visibly shaken Ichigo looked on, Aizen Sosuke opened up a garganta & stood poised to walk off into the darkness & towards his home town.  
Getting up off of the slab of granite he had been sitting on, Ichimaru Gin walked casually over to his leader & waved absentmindedly at the orange haired teenager sprawled on the floor as he passed him "Ja na... Kurosaki kun" he said as he smiled & fell in line next to his taller comrade.  
As they stepped over the threshold, Ichigo could only watch in horror as the mouth of the portal closed behind the 2 former shinigami & all hope faded away.  
Though they had put up a valiant effort & leveraged the entirety of their available fighting forces, the Gotei 13 had been utterly defeated by the forces of Hueco Mundo.

Looking around him, Ichigo could only see desolation. Many had been maimed. Some had been killed. All of them had been vanquished. Even his 2 mentors & his father had been defeated. Though it had shocked him to see Isshin on the battlefield, the shock had been more because his father had appeared before him... clad in the shihakusho of a shinigami, referring to Aizen by name. By now though, Ichigo was used to finding out improbable truths about himself. He had come this far in such a short span of time in what every last person who encountered him deemed was a miraculous fashion. So this revelation was in fact the answer to a question that had long plagued him. There was no need for Isshin to explain himself. Not now anyway.

His fathers fighting prowess had been rather spectacular. With a flick of his finger he had sent the arrogant Aizen crashing into a distant building & he had even wielded his zanpakuto with the deadly fluidity & force of a seasoned fighter, even after all these years, forcing Aizen to have to defend himself against the onslaught from his old foe.  
Ichigo had wanted to fight by Isshin's side, but Gin had decided to choose this of all moments to join the fray & the younger Kurosaki had found himself being one of a handful of people to bare witness to the former 3rd Division Captains mysterious bankai... Kamishini no yari.  
Ichigo soon found out that he had no need to worry about his father... as the older Kurosaki had in fact not come alone. He had arrived as part of the cavalry that consisted of him as well as both Urahara Kisuke & Shihoin Yoruichi.  
Together the 3 former captains had put Aizen through his paces & lead him into a trap that had allowed Isshin, to Ichigo's amazement, to fire off a point blank range Getsuga Tensho that would have obliterated most enemies. But of course... Aizen Sosuke was not most enemies. In the end he had stepped into the garganta... unscathed.

As Ichigo sat there with his hands in his face & the heavy weight of helplessness on his shoulders, Kurosaki Isshin gingerly pulled himself out of the rubble of the crater that had formed when Aizen had flung him onto the concrete. It had taken him an entire lifetime to reach this point. He had left Soul Society on that afternoon to go & investigate the condition of the girl he had saved & to get some answers... & had never seen Soul Society again. It had been 20 long years but he had finally been able to face Aizen, only to fall by his hand again.  
"Masaki..." he mused as he spoke to the memory of his late wife. "I was so close Masaki. I nearly made him pay for what he did to you." grimacing as he propped himself against the wall behind him he surveyed the area.  
Urahara was out cold on the far left, Yoruichi was sprawled in a heap to his right & Ichigo was slumped over a few meters in front of him. In the distance, the shinigami where scattered across Fake Karakura Town where they had fallen in defeat.  
"You know" he continued "I think it was never meant to be me Masaki. Your avenger was meant to be someone cooler than this old man. No... it was always going to be Ichigo. Our Ichigo, who has carried your strength & mine with him all along."

Isshin smiled as he looked at his son. He had never imagined his little Ichigo would have developed this quickly. Though he had been aware of his sons spiritual pressure in the years after Masaki's death, he had expected it to fade away or at least fall under control as time went on & diminish as he grew older. But it had grown & he had been forced to create a barrier around his home to mask Ichigo's ever increasing power. He had even began a rigorous training regime of full contact surprise attacks on his son to help him apply the training he had received from the martial arts classes he had encouraged Masaki to take him to as a child.  
Eventually Ichigo's spiritual pressure had even permeated through the barrier & he could sense it whenever he would go to train with Urahara, Ryuken & Yoruichi. And then he had seen the Kuchiki girl leap into Ichigo's window & sensed the hollow approaching his clinic & everything had changed.

"So... I will have to teach it to him. Even though I could never master it. It is our last hope. I will have to find a way to teach him... Saigo no Getsuga Tensho" and then it hit him. The Dangai! "ICHIGO!" Ichigo looked up to see his father propped up against the base of the building to his far right. "Ichigo, come here. We have to go." Ichigo looked quizzically at his father. "Go where? We... we have no more options." "And what options do Yuzu & Karin have? What options do your friends have Ichigo?"  
Within seconds the young Kurosaki was helping his father to his feet. "What do we do?" Isshin smiled at his son, "We go after him of course. But we will need to hope that he has destroyed the Kototsu... or my plan to defeat him wont work." Kurosaki Ichigo looked at his father in amazement. It was as if he was only seeing him for the first time. This man... this man was a captain of the Gotei 13. He was the only man, other than himself who was still standing. And where he had lost hope, this man was still clinging to it. This was the true face of his father. "Ichigo... lets go." "Hai."

* * *

 _Next chapter will be an important one. It will be the chapter where our 2 worlds collide & alter the timelines indefinitely. Hope the opening act of our saga made sense? For now, in the words of Gin "Ja na" :) - **AQ**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**NB** : From here on out (as heralded) history will following a new trajectory. Aizen is in for a rude awakening... Enjoy. - **AQ**_

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Death & the strawberry flavored ramen...**

Sasuke leapt into the air, towards the white haired woman, drawing his sword as he did, "Kusanagi no Tsurugi, Chidorigatana!"  
As the katana slid out of his scabbard, it seemed to glow with a blue hue. Arcs of lightning danced on the blade & the sound of a thousand chirping birds filled the air.

In an instant, 2 black daggers flew at him from the shadow within Kaguya's sleeve. Twirling Kusanagi in his hand, Sasuke parried the projectiles, even though they had been launched with such velocity that they were impossible to see! The power of the mangekyo sharingan was on full display.  
Focusing on Black Zetsu, Sasuke retaliated with the speed that he had become legendary for, "Amaterasu!"  
Kaguya frowned & swatted the black flames back at Sasuke, as Black Zetsu laughed hysterically. The black flames engulfed the young Uchiha and from the ground Sakura shouted his name as he seemingly met an ill fated end... by his own jutsu.

"Nice work, Sasuke!" Kaguya looked up to find Naruto descending on her from above. She was shocked as she had not seen him leave the ground.  
"Oldest trick in his book" smiled Kakashi as he looked on from besides Sakura & Naruto's clone standing beside him disappeared.  
"Futon, Choodama Rasenshuriken!" hurling the giant spiraling ball of energy at their opponent with all his might, Naruto watched as the demon princess eyes widened & she looked on helplessly at her approaching doom... before she disappeared into a hole in the very air itself!  
Now it was Naruto's turn to frown. "Sasuke!" he yelled as the shuriken sped towards the figure engulfed in flames.

Strafing to the right, an unscathed Sasuke caught the Rasenshuriken & the flames surrounding him poured into the jutsu, creating a blacker than lacquer chakra shuriken that twirled in his left hand while Kusanagi sang in his right.  
As Kaguya appeared out of the air behind him, smiling evilly, the taijutsu master spun himself around to backhand the approaching assailant with what The Fourth had dubbed "Shakuton, Korin Shippu Shikkoku no Ya Zeroshiki!"  
Kaguya dodged, as he had expected & then reached out to grab him.  
But she had not been prepared for the fluidity with which Hagoromo & Gamamaru attacked "Your finished!"  
Before she could react, Kusanagi slipped under her sleeve, impaling Black Zetsu. Seeing his opportunity, Sasuke shot his lightning spear through Zetsu & seemingly impaled Kaguya "Chidori Eiso!"  
Letting out a scream she grabbed Sasuke's hair & flung him to the earth.

As the temporarily disorientated woman floated in mid air & healed herself, she gazed down at the shinobi below her & her anger seethed & pulsated as she mourned the fallen Zetsu.  
Blinded by rage, she did not see the next attack that Naruto had up his sleeve. As he appeared besides her all she heard was "Rasengan!" & a ball of chakra was driven into her rib cage. Screaming again she flung Naruto into the sky, towards the giant bijuu bomb above their heads that seemed to be growing exponentially.  
Having seen the opportunity come up, Sasuke threw the flaming shuriken at the white haired woman as he fell & watched as it homed in on the Rasengan drilling its way into her chest & crashed into it.  
As the deafening whirl of the Shakuton Zeroshiki Rasengan bomb split the air, Kaguya was sent shooting across the landscape & she crashed into a distant mountain.  
The resultant explosion shook the plane & it was all Sakura & Kakashi could do to remain on their feet.

Flipping backwards through the air a few times to slow his fall, Sasuke landing gracefully next to Sakura & soon Naruto was next to them as well. "Did we get her?" asked Naruto. "I think so." replied Sasuke.  
But soon the sky began to phase in and out between colors & a long, loud screech filled the air. The wind howled like a tormented banshee & the ground began to rock.

It only took a second. Before they could react, a hole opened up in the sky above them & an entire mountain range came crashing down on top of Team 7.  
As they covered their faces, Naruto, Sasuke & Kakashi only got a glimpse of a pink flash as Sakura leapt towards the descending mountain. "Byakugo no In, Mankai Okasho!" with the strength of a thousand men, Sakura punched the approaching doom with all her might, even as she closed her eyes "Shannaro!"

By the time the dust had settled, the 3 Shinobi could only look on in awe as Haruno Sakura, The 5th Hokage's Disciple stood in the distance, surrounded by the shattered rock, breathing heavily as she caught her breath.  
As Naruto & Sasuke looked on in amazement, Kakashi took the opportunity to point the gravity of what she had just accomplished out to her stunned teammates...  
"Of all the strength imbued Shinobi, none... not one... has ever crushed a mountain in a single blow. That honour belongs solely to that girl over there. Naruto, Sasuke... you no longer need to fend for Sakura. She has even surpassed The Fifth."

Looking on from a distance, Otsutsuki Kaguya could not believe her eyes... her own Hagoromo & Gamamaru where beating her with the powers she had granted them.  
"Ungrateful... Ungrateful! UNGRATEFUL!"  
As her anger erupted Kaguya's Rinne Sharingan began to swirl & swirl. Everything began to shake & the clouds seemed to spin in an eddy around the giant bijuu bomb floating in the heavens. And then, suddenly... everything went dark. The Very world seemed to be erased. There was no pain. No falling. No jarring. No phasing. Just... darkness.

* * *

As Tensa Zangetsu hurtled towards Ichigo, tears trailing in his wake, the orange haired substitute Shinigami could sense the sadness & sorrow from his companion.  
Throughout the entire fight, Zangetsu had refused to make eye contact. At times Ichigo had even felt like Zangetsu had not wanted to fight. But, he had forged on. Spurred by Ichigo's will.  
But even now, as he closed in for the killing blow, he seemed to be looking away... as if he did not want to bare witness to Ichigo's demise.  
Finally... Ichigo understood. He now began to realize, as he watched Tensa Zangetsu closing in on him, what he had been meant to do the entire time. Dropping his broken blade at the last moment, he allowed his manifested Zanpakuto to pierce his heart with his blade, like Rukia had done all those months ago.  
"So you figured it out, Ichigo." Tensa Zangetsu was now staring straight into his master's eyes as they drifted together across their world.  
"And now you will learn what I meant by wanting to protect different things. Ichigo, what I wanted to protect... was you. If you use this technique, then you will..." Looking away, Tensa Zangetsu seemed to be struggling with himself. "Ichigo... if you use this technique you will..."  
Zangetsu never got to finish.

Ichigo was pulled out of his inner world by the commotion around his body.  
As if from thin air, 4 figures materialized above the seated Kurosaki's & crashed on top of them rather unceremoniously. Isshin was knocked backwards as Kakashi fell on top of him, pulling his kaikyo kotei out of the koryu & Ichigo was knocked awake as Naruto awkwardly landed back to back with him.  
"What the hell?!" yelled Ichigo as he came to, rubbing the back of his head. "I was just about to learn what I have been training for 3 months to learn & you just interrupted me!"  
"Everyone alright?" asked Naruto as he rubbed his head & gingerly tried to stand up, before giving up & laying on his back as he caught his breath.  
"What just happened Kakashi?" asked Sasuke as he frowned & looked at the darkness of the Dangai around him.  
"I don't know Sasuke..." replied a very confused looking Kakashi "I really don't know. I didn't have time to use Kamui & I don't know where we are. But I suspect we have been lucky." Sasuke, who had landed on his feet, sat down now as well "I see... Sakura, are you okay?"  
Sakura almost forgot herself as Sasuke looked into her eyes for the first time since he had returned.  
"Ah... em... yes. I mean, there are people here!" pointed out a blushing Sakura "I think this one is hurt."  
Moving over to Isshin, she felt for a pulse & then began molding chakra to heal the drained looking Shinigami.

"Hey!" yelled Ichigo, as he leapt back a few paces & crouched "What are you doing?! Get away from him!" "She is healing him" interjected Kakashi "we mean you no harm."  
Wrapping his hand around his Zanpakuto's hilt, Ichigo slowly stood up & as he did, so did Sasuke whose hand slowly wrapped around Kusanagi's hilt. The two locked eyes & Ichigo began to increase his spiritual pressure.  
"You heard what he said..." said the kid with the strange eyes "we are not here to fight you. But..." with a slow & deliberate action, he unsheathed his blade & the dark tunnel was bathed in the blue hue of its light as the lightning danced on its stainless edge. "But if you continue to..."  
With surprising speed, the orange haired kid was on top of Sasuke & he only intercepted the kids downward slice with his katana by instinct.  
"I want to know who you are & what you are doing here..." demanded Ichigo "are you with Aizen?! Tell me!"  
In a blink the 2 swordsmen were gone & all that the 4 figures on the ground could hear was brief clashes of steel on steel & intermittent flashes as chakra clashed with reiatsu.

Suddenly Ichigo materialized among them, ripping up the ground as he slid backwards. Planting his feet, the young shinigami began to glow as blue as Kusanagi...  
"Getsuga... TENSHO!" swinging his blade, an arc of blue energy hurtled towards Sasuke as he descended down from the ceiling. With only a split second to react, the Uchiha's eyes flared "Susanoo!"  
The purple phantom rib cage took the full might of the heaven piercing slash & Sasuke was hurled towards the wall of the Dangai.  
Sensing that touching the pulsing walls was not a good idea, Naruto only just caught his friend, as he reached for him with his chakra arm.  
"Wait a second guys. Wait a second! We have no fight with you guys. Sasuke, we have no fight with them!"

Landing next to Sasuke, Naruto tried to put his hand on the Uchiha's shoulder, to calm him down, but Sasuke was seething. Pushing his blonde haired comrade aside, a panting & bleeding Sasuke retaliated in rage "Get out of my way Naruto... Katon, Goryuka no Jutsu!"  
As the dragon shaped flame burst forward towards Ichigo & the others on the floor around him, the young shinigami closed his eyes & began to recall the faces of his friends. His siblings. Rukia. Orihime... "Orihime!" his eyes snapped open & he lifted his blade in the air. As his resolve to cut Sasuke began to scream from his blade, black flames began to surround him & soon his eyes began to change colour "Mu..."  
In a blink, Isshin was gone from Sakura's side & was planting his elbow in Ichigo's midriff. Within seconds, the teenager was doubled over & unconscious. Appearing behind the raging Uchiha, Kakashi followed suit & knocked Sasuke out as well... & just like that, the fight was over. But the damage had been done.

As Sakura & Isshin looked on, the giant ball of flame careened towards them & the unconscious Ichigo. In the confined space of the Dangai, there was not really anywhere to go. Even more so now that they could hear the sound of the Kototsu bearing down onto them.  
As Sakura clenched her fist & turned around to face the approaching creature, Isshin stood resolute & began to draw Engetsu. At the last second however, as they where engulfed by the flames fanned by the scion of the Uchiha, Naruto's chakra cloak was around them & the flames burned everything around them, including the Kototsu that had been bearing down on them.

As the 3 Shinobi landed on the searing ground opposite their kunoichi teammate & the 2 black clad figures, the 2 older men locked eyes & for a moment... the very sound of silence seemed like a loud thumping of the heart.  
"That was lucky. I was wondering how we were going to escape from the Kototsu... but now your friend has destroyed it. Well done..."  
"Yes... unfortunately Sasuke has a rather... hot temper. But I am forgetting myself. Allow me to introduce myself... I am Hatake Kakashi. I am a jonin of Konohagakure no Sato & these are my subordinates, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke & the one that healed you is Haruno Sakura."  
Looking at the 4 new people, Isshin surmised that they posed no threat. Sitting down, he decided to introduce himself as well.  
"Kurosaki Isshin. I am but a lowly surgeon from Karakura Town & this is my son Ichigo."  
"A surgeon you say..." "Yes" replied the older Kurosaki rather matter of factly. The white haired guy didn't seem to buy this reply for a second. Finally, Isshin smiled & put his hand in his shihakusho "I used to be a Shinigami once upon a time... if that's what you are on about."  
Kakashi's eyes widened... "A Shinigami?!" "Yes" There was a moment of silence as the two made sense of their new situation.

"Well... Kurosaki Isshin, maybe we can help each other out..." "Oh?" "Yes." replied Kakashi "it would seem something has brought us to this very strange plane together."  
"Indeed... but unfortunately, as much as my favorite thing to do other than playing with my children is meeting new people, we don't have time to trade stories today." with a distant look in his eye, Isshin stared down the dark path of the Dangai "We are currently on the way to our last stand against a monster from within our ranks & unfortunately it would seem Ichigo never completed his training after all."  
"Training?" inquired Sakura "Yes, training. He has not learned the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho... that I gambled & brought him here to learn."  
"The what?" asked a thoroughly confused looking Sakura. "Never mind..."

"Saigo no Getsuga Tensho huh?" the two men looked up at Naruto as he stood up & gazed down the path as well, before looking down at Ichigo & Sasuke's limp forms. "I'm guessing it was some kind of super technique to defeat this monster right?"  
The two men looked at the young Shinobi as he stood there in the Dangai, bathing the dark smokey tunnel with his golden aura.  
"It seems like we took away an important chance you had created to beat this enemy..." mused the teenager "so it only makes sense... it only makes sense that we come with you & help you to beat him pops."

As Isshin looked at the blonde haired teenager who was smiling at him, he began to feel a tinge of hope... he began to believe that all was not lost.  
Finally sitting up & shaking the cobwebs out of their heads, Ichigo & Sasuke also looked at the smiling blonde & even in spite of himself, Sasuke found himself smiling back at his rival & then looking at each other, the two new rivals glared at each other until Sasuke averted his gaze & decided to go over to Naruto.

Standing up gingerly & putting his hand on Naruto's shoulder, Sasuke began to steady himself "Whats the plan, Naruto?"  
"I haven't quite figured that out..." admitted the blonde, "but maybe it will be a good idea if we trade stories after all..."  
Standing up as well & walking over to stand opposite the blonde kid, Ichigo reached out his hand "Alright. I'm Ichigo." "I'm Naruto."  
As they clasped hands, a gust of wind blew past the group & the 2 heroes smiled as they felt each others strength.  
"So, Naruto, tell me about yourself & your friends. Where do you come from exactly?"  
Naruto let out a hearty laugh at Ichigo's question & then smiled again while he scratched his head. "Wow... where do I begin..."

* * *

 _Okay. So there it is. A bowl of strawberry flavored ramen. Hope it blended well. I'm sure there are questions after this installment, but they will answer themselves as we proceed. And yes, Ichigo just owned Sasuke_ _I mean, Kusanagi is good. But Zangetsu is Zangetsu right? At least the fated meeting has happened. Now we see what the new continuum has in store. -_ _ **AQ**_


	3. Chapter 3

_Last time we left our heroes, they had decided to form a truce & had decided to trade stories about their past & get a handle on what was going on. And now, the next installment of Naruto & The Bleach Paradox! - __**AQ**_

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Vengeance**

"Gin. In the end you where a disappointment. Even if a 1000 of your blades where to pierce me & even if every grain of your blade was to slice me... the Hogyoku would not allow me, its master to succumb to such a trivial thing as death."

Gin could hear Aizen speaking, but it seemed like he was far away. He was dying & he knew it. Everything felt so... numb, yet as he lay there, knowing that the world was at an end... he wasn't in despair. It was because she was here with him. He looked at her... Matsumoto Rangiku. She was in pain. She was hunched over him calling out his name, bleeding after her scuffle with Aizen & crying as she tried to keep him from leaving her again. He wanted to respond, but he felt so far away. And he was tired, man was he tired. He had been out for vengeance ever since that day.

It had always been Aizen. Aizen... that damn Aizen! He had been a son of a bitch from day one. He had no care for life. He had used, no, fed peoples souls to his abomination & had stolen their lives & Rangiku's innocence. All because he believed himself above everything. To him existence was just chaos & science. Every man was to do what they will... as he had always said, "There had been no God standing above everyone else from the start"  
He believed in nothing. More importantly he refused to believe in The Soul King that was their God. So now here he was, about to tear the veil & wage war on God himself.

"Lucifer returned" he thought to himself & smiled. The world was not without irony. He coffed blood & Rangiku held him to her breast, begging him to hold on. To hold on, for what? It was over. There was no one left to save them.

"Im glad" he thought. "Im glad I said sorry already, Rangiku. But I hope you can forgive me for not being able to win... in the end I couldn't avenge you."

Aizen looked around him in satisfaction. To his right, Ichigo's friends lay dying. To his left the one they called Tatsuki lay in ruin after he had had his way with her. She had tried to stop him. They had all tried to stop him. They had all failed. And now, before him lay Ichimaru Gin & his whore. He had always been suspicious of Gin's intentions. But in the end he had, had nothing to worry about.

"I will have her next, Gin. And she will bare me a child & we will rule this world. That will be your last thought Gin. Or perhaps I will have her & then sacrifice them all... a God has no need for a companion. At least you can console each other in oblivion"

Suddenly... a large cloud of smoke exploded behind Aizen. Startled, he jumped back. Not out of fear, but surprise.  
Rangiku's eyes widened with shock as well. But her shock was because of the reiatsu she felt. There where a number of them, but the one she could "feel", was one she could never forget

"Taisho..."

As the smoke cleared & Kakashi completed transporting everyone out of the Dangai, Ichigo could make out the feint auras of his friends & in the distance, those of his little sisters. Everyone was alive. Yuzu & Karin where safe. And then he looked down...

"No..." he whispered, as he saw Tatsuki at his feet. Her clothes had been ripped apart & for the first time as he gazed at her he realized how beautiful she was.

"Tat-su-ki..." he knelt down & found a jacket to cover her. Looking to his right he saw Keigo, Mizuiro, Chizuru & Imoyama San laying in a heap. In front of him, Aizen! He was now holding Matsumoto San by the hair & had his blade to her throat.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. You never cease to surprise me. You surprise me with your predictability. Did I not tell you tha..."

Aizen faded off as he saw the rest of Ichigo's party come into focus. A man with a mask & white hair, a girl with a flat chest & hair like cherry blossom leaves, a boy with dark hair & darker eyes, a boy with yellow hair & a strange aura about him... & Isshin!

"I see. Kurosaki Isshin. Is this your doing?" Isshin smiled "More or less." "More or less? Did you not bring these strange visitors with you Isshin? Are they not your vanguard? Your cavalry? Your arrogance will be your downfall, Kurosaki Isshin. They should have attacked too when you, Shihouin Yoruichi & Uruhara Kisuke attacked me earlier. Now its too..."

He dodged in time. The air had blurred where his head was & something about that blur told him it was not safe. Rangiku was sucked in to its vortex & to his surprise she seemed to come out of another one next to the man with the white hair.  
As she appeared Rangiku collapsed, but Isshin caught her. She looked up at his face. He was glaring at Aizen with that familiar look.

"You haven't changed" she mumbled as she touched his face. It really was him. Isshin looked down at her, "Matsumoto, are you okay?" His gaze was piercing, Rangiku blushed & looked away "I didn't need your help... Kiba Taisho" "Right." Isshin dropped her unceremoniously & stood up. He was glad she was okay. What Aizen had done here... to Ichigo's friends, to the towns people... to Tatsuki.  
He looked down at Ichigo. His son had proceeded to revive his friends with Sakura's help & they where consoling Arisawa. Ichigo had gotten a jacket off the bodies of one of the corpses & had covered up her nakedness. He was now holding her as she cried into his chest.

"Ichigo..." he called out to his son, who had a distant look in his eyes. "Ichigo?" "Dad... I'm going to kill him..." the young man seemed almost calm as he said this. Isshin called to him again "Ichigo.", but he seemed to not hear his fathers voice. "I'm going to make him pay for what he did..." "Ichigo!" yelled Isshin, as the ground began to shake and Ichigo's black & red aura began to flare. "I'm going to make you pay for what you did... AIZEN!"

In an instant he was hurtling towards Aizen.

"BAN-KAI!"

Their swords crashed together & sparks of power burst across the street. The two enemies glared over their swords into each others eyes.

"Im going to kill you Aizen. Im going to make you pay for what you did to Tatsuki!" Soon they where flash stepping from roof to cloud. The violent exchange was loud and seemed to be shaking the earth itself.

"Getsuga... TENSHO!"

Ichigo fired a wave & Aizen attempted to swat it aside. He only just managed.

"Hado No. 63: Raikouhou!"

Aizen fired a bolt of yellow lightening at the teenager. Ichigo couldn't recover in time. "Dammit!" he braced himself... & then Uchiha Sasuke was infront of him

"Shakuton, Chidori!"

Sasuke thrust his black lightening fist at the oncoming Hado. The light was brighter than a flare as the reishi hado & the chakra jutsu struggled for advantage. "I cant hold this forever Naruto!" "Sorry im late!" replied Naruto as he descended from above. Aizen looked up.

"Rasenshuriken!"

The yellow haired boy hurled a disk of energy at him. He was quick. Aizen didn't move. The Rasenshuriken hit. Sasuke & Ichigo dashed to Naruto's side & looked on. As the smoke cleared & the screeching of the Rasenshuriken blades dissipated, the broken figure of Aizen could be seen amongst the wreckage. He moved & then he began to laugh.

"Was that it. Was that your final hope?" He spoke too soon. Sakura appeared behind him, delivered by Kakashi's Kamui.  
"We're only getting started... chandarOOO!" her fist connected with Aizen's face and sent him hurtling across the expanse. In the distance he crashed into a building & then, before anyone could react, he appeared behind Sakura & ran her through the heart with Kyoka Suigetsu. Sakura gasped & blood spattered across her lips & began soaking her shirt.

"Sakura!"

Sasuke dashed across the expanse to his paramour as she fell. Aizen caught her by the hair & tossed her at the oncoming boy. Sasuke caught her, ceasing his assault to check her condition.  
Behind Aizen, Kakashi & Isshin charged & attacked together. Aizen dodged & parried & counter-attacked. Seeing a moment he stabbed his hand into Kakashi's chest & ripped out his heart! Only to find himself holding a book called Icha Icha Paradise. As the real Kakashi appeared behind him he slit Aizen's throat with his kunai & stabbed his hand into Aizen's heart,

"Shakuton, Raikiri!"

Isshin then stepped back, seeing the moment he sliced downwards & fired a blast with Engetsu,

"Getsuga Tensho!"

Ichigo sliced horizontally as his father & Kakashi jumped back & fired his own wave

"Getsuga Tensho!"

Aizen struggled against the blasts as he tried to heal, but Sakura appeared behind him, fully healed by her Sozo Saisei

"Byakugo no In, Okasho!"

As she struck his back, he was pushed into the cross shaped power of the Kurosaki's combined Getsuga Tensho. He was sliced in 4 & then the energy exploded.  
Flash stepping to the nearest hill as th Hogyoku kept him together, he attempted to heal, but he had underestimated the effectiveness of Ichigo's team. Naruto descended on him again, obscured by the sun & this time emerging from Kamui to evade detection. Kakashi's placement was on point & as Aizen tried to escape 2 arrows went into each of his feet. He looked up to see Uryu Ishida standing on the edge of an open Garaganta, holding his smoking bow, with Orihime Inoue by his side.

"Owari da dattebayo... Rasengan Barrage!"

Naruto drove 2 ball of energy into Aizen's right & left pectorals & as he did, Sasuke appeared behind Aizen & he pierced his hand into Aizen's back, severing his spine.

"Chidori!"

Aizen's eyes widened as he felt his life force escaping. His eyes began to blur & he dropped to his knees, looking up to see Kurosaki Ichigo looming above him with his blade pointing to the sky.

"Aizen... Owari da."

With that he slashed downwards & clove Aizen in twain. As his foe fell to the ground, vanquished, Ichigo walked towards the body of Ichimaru Gin. He was not moving, but there was a faint life force coming from him. "Sakura can you he..."

"Ha-do nu-mb-er o-ne... Sho."

Aizen sent a blast towards Gin & it crashed into the wounded man. He died instantly. Everyone gasped & Ichigo looked back at Aizen in shock & anger "AIZEN!" he yelled & rushed in to finish him... but Rangiku's scream made him stop dead in his tracks. Crumpling to her knees her head dropped & she gazed at the ground. The sky began to darken & as everyone looked on, Rangiku, finally pushed beyond the limits of despair, called Haineko's name..

"Ban-kaaaaiii!"

Dust began to swirl around her & soon she was surrounded by a tornado of ash that rose to the darkened sky. The air cracked & wailed like 1000 hollows & the name of Matsumoto Rangiku was etched in the history of soul society forever.  
As the wind continued to gale & lightening tattooed the sky, the tornado of ash swirled on & soon Rangiku emerged from it. In her hand was a black staff. The newly released Haineko! Her clothes too had changed & she was clad in a tight black leather bodice & leather boots. Her black kimono & skirt billowed in the wind as she stood there in all her beauty... with the look of death in her now cold eyes

"Haineko... Kamishini no Arashi"

Raising her empty hand towards Aizen, the ash from the tornado, shot towards him like a pyroclastic flow & Aizen began to flee. But Rangiku was too fast. Soon she was standing in front of him & her staff crunched into Aizen's middle. He dropped to his knees, gasping for air.

"Come Aizen... Take me. Take me in front of all of these people... like yo did to Tatsuki!"

The ash blades crashed into him & began ripping him apart. Aizen screamed as his flesh was ripped from his body.

"Don't you want me Aizen? Don't you want me to bare your children? Or do you want Orihime too?!"

Motioning to her right, Rangiku's ash wave flung Aizen into a broken building under the Garaganta, impaling him on an exposed steel strut & the wave of ash crashed into the building. Then, just as she prepared to go in after him... Rangikus Bankai released & she collapsed in a heap, exhausted.  
Isshin was by her side in an instant again. "Rangiku!"  
Ichigo looked at his father & smiled, but then re-focused his attention on the building where Aizen had been thrown into. Nothing. Tentatively the group approached the rubble as Orihime & Uryu joined them.

"Its over right?" asked Naruto "No." replied Sasuke, "he's coming."

Aizen burst forth from the wall & the group dodged. Sakura nearly took a hit but Orihime was by her side with her arms out

"Soten Kisshun, I reject!"

Aizen crashed into the orange shield & crumpled to the floor. Ishida Uryu didn't need to think twice, with everyone out of the way & the 2 in the line of fire behind Orihimes shield, he released a hail of arrows that descended from the heavens like rain

"Licht regen!"

Aizen pushed himself to his knees & he began to laugh as the hail of arrows exploded around him. His laugh was not maniacal, but it was still disturbing. Even though they had fought him & they had launched everything they had at him, Aizen was still alive & the group began do wonder if perhaps there was no way left to beat the former Captain. But they only wondered this for a moment. Without warning, Uruhara Kisuke appeared before them just as the last arrow fell. He had Benihime in one hand & he was carrying Yoruichi's limp form in his other arm. He looked down at Aizen for a while & then, all he said was...

"Fuin"

Suddenly light burst from Aizen's chest & a strange material began to wrap around him.

"What is going on Kakashi sensei?" asked Naruto "It looks like a fuinjutsu. So they do use jutsu..." "Yes," responded Isshin "We do use Jutsu & that there is the master at it. Uruhara Kisuke. Without him, we would have been lost many a time. He is also my best friend you could say" "But I thought Ryuken was your best friend" teased Ichigo as he leaned on a smiling Uryu. "Mind your business boy." mumbled the older Kurosaki.

But apparently Aizen was not finished. With his last strength, he ripped through the seal & grabbed Uraharas throat. Kisuke however didn't even flinch. "Urahara KISUKE!" he screamed, but his arm was detached from his body as Ichigo's Zangetsu sliced & before he could feel the pain, Naruto drove one more Rasengan into his chest, shattering the Hogyoku.

"Getsuga TENSHO!" "RASENGAN!""

Aizen shot backwards into a tree & again fell to his knees. He clutched at his chest with his remaining hand & the seal took hold of him. As Urahara began to turn & walk away, Aizen called out to him

"How? How can you continue to serve him, when you know what he is? Answer me... Urahara!" Urahara merely looked at Aizen "It is because I know what He is that I serve him. The Soul King is The Linchpin that keeps our reality together. But, more importantly, he is an agent of God." Aizen's eyes widened "Yes Aizen, The Soul King is not God. A god would not need protection, not when He could create existence."

The two men looked into each others eyes as Aizen was immobilized & slowly imprisoned. "You where a fool Aizen. Because we guard the after life you assumed we where above creation. Because you had power you assumed you where invincible. But your downfall was that you had nothing to believe in. You could have won. But you had no motivation. As for us? We had no choice. We had to fight, with determination & hope, to save our friends. It was that hope that gave us strength as we believed that our path, justified in the eyes of God, would lead to victory." Aizen scoffed, "I didn't know you where a fool that clung to the myths of Humans, Urahara Kisuke. Your time spent in their world has deluded you." "And I didn't know you where ignorant of the reality of our existence, Aizen Sosuke. Clearly, in my desperation to find an equal, I overestimated your intelligence."  
Aizen said nothing now. He only glared at Urahara.  
Finally, the seal was complete. As the dust settled, all that remained in the place where Aizen had been was a jagged rock. Placing Yoruichi on the grass, Urahara turned to greet his friend, his student & their allies.

"Ahhh, Kurosaki san. I see I wasn't too late this time." "You were late enough..." jibed Isshin "Come come, don't get so hung up on the past" replied Urahara as he hid behind his fan "more importantly, do introduce me to our friends. After all, they did just help us save Soul Society."  
After he said this, Urahara bowed "We are eternally in your debt" All the shinigami present made a short bow of respect to the Konoha Shinobi as well & they introduced themselves to Urahara.  
"But more importantly..." he continued as he turned to face the beautiful strawberry blonde, "we are forever in yours, Matsumoto san." everyone looked at the tired & grief stricken Rangiku. "If you hadn't released your bankai when you did... things mite not have gone so smoothly." "No one owes me anything." Rangiku deadpanned as she starred into the distance. "It was my duty to avenge Gin & my honour to again fight by the side of Kiba Taisho." she made a small bow to Isshin & then turned around & walked away.  
"Rangiku san?!" called Orihime "Don't worry about her Orihime kun" said Isshin as he watched Rangiku go. "She has a few things she needs to work through. So she needs to be alone."

Ichigo smiled as he took Orihime's hand "It sure was something else fighting by Dads side, but I have to admit, I'm glad its over. And I'm glad Orihime is safe. Thank you. Thank all of you." Ichigo proceeded to bow to all his friends as well & so did Orihime.  
"Well, not to interrupt the happy couples reunion" interjected Urahara as he smiled at the group of heroes, "but it looks like everyone has come to celebrate with us. Shall we go & see who survived then?" he motioned towards the distance & everyone looked to see Renji, Rukia, Byakuya, Zaraki & everyone else entering Karakura Town

Naruto laughed & held his fist out to Ichigo. Ichigo smiled & bumped his fist against Naruto's & nodded to Sasuke. "I hope there is an Ichikaru store around here coz I could use some delicious Ramen" quipped Naruto. "Sasukes paying!"

"Mmm... Ramen. Now that sounds like a good idea." mumbled Yoruichi as she sat up gingerly. "Yoruichi sama!" yelled her students in elation. As they helped her up & began walking towards the approaching shinigami, they introduced her to Team 7 & started recounting the tale of their battle to a very puzzled & impressed Yoruichi.  
Isshin busied himself with taking care of Tatsuki who pushed him away & insisted she was okay. "Its okay Kurosaki sama" said Orihime. She then looked at Ichigo & motioned for him to go with the others & walked over to where Tatsuki was & sat down with her friend. They held hands & stared at the rock that now imprisoned Aizen Sosuke. Isshin proceeded to chase after the other injured & Urahara looked on quietly, thinking to himself

"Its finally over. We finally avenged what happened 100 years ago. But we are going to have some explaining to do... Something tells me that this is only the beginning, Kurosaki kun & Uzumaki Naruto..."

* * *

 _Next chapter will be interesting. With Aizen vanquished & everyone saved, Soul Society has to rebuild & there is the small mater of the newcomers from Konoha... Tune in for the next installment of ___Naruto & The Bleach Paradox_. For now, in the words of Gin "Ja na" :) - __**AQ**_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey. Last time we saw our heroes they had finally managed to overcome Aizen's forces. But that is not all that happened. So let's get back to, Naruto & The Bleach Paradox! - __**AQ**_

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Soul Society**

The wind howled as it swept through the streets of Rukongai & the feint sound of gypsy music & women's laughter could be heard in the distance as the brothels & drinking establishments burned the midnight oil. A shout rang in the distance, a man in a brown tunic ran, eyes wide & breathing heavy, headlong down an alley.

"Catch him!" "Don't let him escape!" "Hai!"

He could feel them on his shoulder... moments away... He leapt forward & turned back, his momentum carrying him backwards as he faced his attackers. Steel clashed upon steel as the first assailant engaged him. Instinctively he blocked horizontally. The blade was inches from his face.  
As his feet hit the ground & slid back on the gravel, he planted his feet and feinted right into a handstand, whipping his right foot into the assailants face. K.O! The second one descended upon him as he rose up. But his katana was too fast & as he rose up he slashed upwards & sent the man flying back.  
Standing there as he panted for oxygen, he looked on at the 20 men standing in front of him & narrowed his eyes.

"Hahaha! You're ours now. We will have our way with you!"

Just before they could grab the man in the brown tunic, a voice rang out above them

"Have your way with him?! What is this about? Some kind of disgusting brothel brawl?"

The 20 & the 1 looked up on the roof of the building on the left of the passage. Abarai Renji stood there with a scowl on his face & Zabimaru glowing in his hand.

"Shinigami!" they gasped. As the men began to run their leader, Mungenmutsu Kokojo, looked up at the Shinigami & scowled back.

"Don't run away!" he yelled. "Any man that runs will be hunted & killed! Attack the Shinigami!"

"Attack the Shinigami?"

They now looked to see another Shinigami on the right...

"What exactly do you think a Shinigami is?"

The other Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo, unsheathed his zanpakuto Zangetsu from its wrapping on his back & swiped downwards, raising his reiatsu as he did & the buildings began to tremble around them as his blue aura radiated around him & twinkled in his eyes.

"Leave this man alone & stop causing trouble. It's late & it is cold. Go home."

The 20 men began whispering amongst themselves as they tried to weigh up how far they were willing to go to capture the young man they were after. But Kokojo was not running a democracy.

"Attack!" he yelled and they let loose their arrows as Ichigo & Renji descended on them.

"Ichigo, Lets teach this scum a lesson." "Wakatta..." "Howl Zabimaru!"

The Shinigami made short work of the gang. Before the young man could pick his jaw up off the floor, there were 19 men groaning on it. The Shinigami stood & looked on at the leader of the group, who had hid behind his men as the skirmish happened. The young man spoke up.

"Now it's just you Mungenmutsu Kokojo."

Renji looked at Ichigo. Ichigo could see by his expression that this was one of those honour situations. The two of them stepped back.

"Was this all worth it Mungenmutsu?" "Fuck you! You think you can get away with that & not pay? That is my property & if you use it you pay!" "But I did not use your property. She used me."

Ichigo frowned. This was about a woman? As he was about to interject, Renji looked at him & his eyes had no mirth. Ichigo looked on & saw that the two men faced each other as adversaries. As they watched, steel clashed upon steel & 1 fell.  
Indeed it was a cold night in Soul Society, as the inhabitants of The Seireitei slept. Only those on sentry could be seen moving about as they kept watch for anything untoward.

In the barracks of the 10th division however, sleep was elusive. It had been a few weeks since Aizen had been defeated & a few weeks since they had all discovered that Captain Shiba Isshin was alive.  
All along he had been hiding in plain sight & even more astounding was the fact that he was Kurosaki Ichigo's father.

The surprising turn of events where so baffling in fact, that even the arrival of the Shinobi from The Village Hidden in The Leaf, which was in an entirely different dimension & was currently beset by a most epic calamity... had seemed to take a back seat as Seireitei came to grips with the return of the head of the Shiba Clan.  
The Shiba Clan had been one of the Godai Kizoku, The 5 Great Nobel Families. Like the Shinobi Godaikoku (5 Great Shinobi Villages) from the ninja world, the Godai Kizoku where the people that governed Seireitei & lead The Soul Society.

* * *

The story of the Shiba clan was basically the story of the Godai Kizoku.  
In the beginning when the Seireitei was but the Ryujin District, the leading families of the society of wandering souls who lived mainly in the Ryujin District, but also around the outskirts of the 1st district of Rukongai, had banded together & searched for the answers to the meaning of their existence in the next stage of life.  
Together the Ryujin, Shihoin, Kuchiki, Kyoraku & Shiba Clans along with a few others had learned about how souls crossed into Rukongai & of the hollows & Hueco Mundo. They had learned about reishi & reiatsu & how to control it. They had created Central 46 & built elaborate compounds within the Ryujin District & elevated their quality of life from that of the Rukongai District. They had taken it upon themselves to take care of the needs of the downtrodden around them & had created laws in Central 46 & a police force to keep order in the Ryujin District & in as many other districts as possible. Creating work & livelihoods for many of the families in soul society.

Eventually the Ryujin, Shiba & Ise Clans had even learned about The Soul King & the Shinigami & had spent years trying to establish contact with them. But the separation between the Shinigami & the souls of Rukongai was iron clad & none of their attempts yielded any communication.  
Finally, during the incident in The Dark Ages known as The Reckoning, when The Soul Society was attacked by 1000 Menos Grande after the experiments of the Kasumioji & Ryodoji clans ripped a hole between Soul Society & Hueco Mundo, the Shinigami had descended into Rukongai & with the help of the forces of the Godai Kizoku & the Shiba's allies The Quincy, had vanquished the hollows, saving Soul Society & the world of the living.

Afterwards a great meeting was held on Gotei Hill where the Kasumioji Clan was punished & the Ryodoji Clan was banished & the hill was renamed Sokyoku Hill.  
Having seen the potential of the society the Godai Kizoku had created, the Shinigami created what would later become known as the Gotei 13 & with their approval & training, the Gotei 13 became the protectors of not only Soul Society, but the world of the living as well.

Indeed the 1st captains of the Shinigami forces where the 5 heads of The Godai Kizoku:

Founding captain of the 1st Division: Ryujin Tensho  
Founding captain of the 2nd Division: Shihoin Yamato  
Founding captain of the 3rd Division: Kuchiki Tenzen  
Founding captain of the 4th Division: Shiba Shin  
Founding captain of the 5th Division: Kyoraku Zenoske

And thus the importance of the Shiba Clan was etched into the history of Soul Society & the gravity of Isshin's decision to bind himself to Kurosaki Masaki & vanish from Soul Society forever had, had such far reaching consequences.  
It was also the reason that the return of Captain Isshin had become the gradually escalating official drama that was unfolding with each passing day & the reason why the truth of Kurosaki Ichigo's parentage had become the talk of Soul Society.

* * *

Having seen to it that the 20 gangsters where healed & imprisoned & that the young man in the brown tunic was safely away from harm, Ichigo & Renji walked into the 10th Divisions great hall & made their way to the window where Naruto & Sasuke where standing.  
At the front of the hall Captains Kyoraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jushiro, Kuchiki Byakuya & Unohana Retsu where seated at a table on a dais, flanking Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.  
On a table on the dais opposite them, sat former Captains Urahara Kisuke, Shihoin Yoruichi, Hirako Shinji & the leader of the Konoha ninja Hatake Kakashi, flanking former Captain Kurosaki Isshin.

"Have they said anything?" whispered Ichigo "No," replied an irritated looking Sasuke. "Mostly pleasantries & documents being passed around."

Ichigo looked at his father in the distance. He was clearly familiar with Soul Society, but he could tell that Isshin was under immense pressure. Feeling a bit defensive that his father was being put in such a position, Ichigo decided to intervene & started walking towards the front. But then a hand grabbed his arm. Looking to his left he saw 10th Division Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku scowling at him. As he was about to protest she raised her eyebrow. Ichigo backed down.

Rukia & Lieutenant Ise Nanao returned from Central 46 with more documents. Once they had passed them to the respective tables they stood bye & waited for their next task. Isshin had volunteered the services of Kuchiki Rukia & Haruno Sakura as messengers as well to expedite the process of the meetings as originally Lieutenant Ise Nanao & former Lieutenant Yadomaru Lisa were meant to be the soul messengers at Captain Kyoraku Shunsui's suggestion.  
But with Isshin's suggestion, the two groups could still deliver the documents & maintain a presence at Central 46 at the same time.

"I must admit. This is all very nostalgic." Quipped Urahara as he fanned himself. "It all feels so official. I'm starting to remember what being a Captain was like."

"Yes, yes" replied Captain Kyoraku, "being a Captain can be quite bothersome. To be honest I would rather be catching up with Lisa-kun. But then again, Nanao-chan might be a little jealous"

"Hahahahaha! Your talent for the ladies seems to have stayed the same Shunsui-sama."

"I wouldn't call it a talent. It is... my disposition"

Byakuya, who had been intently examining Kurosaki Isshin, decided to interject as he felt the need for silence.

"It is unbecoming to be making such trivial conversation at an official hearing like this. Captain Kyoraku, you are one of the officials presiding over this trial & you, Urahara Kisuke, are in danger of joining Aizen Sosuke under Central 46. It is not the time to be making small talk."

Yoruichi began giggling. Eventually she burst into laughter & nearly fell of her seat.

"I'm sorry everyone. Byakuya-bo really does try his hardest to be so serious. But I can't take him seriously."

"Oh?" replied Byakuya as he narrowed his eyes & slowly stood up. "Perhaps I can remind you of who I am..." as he was about to draw his Zanpakuto Sakura & Lisa entered the room with more papers and Nanao & Rukia dashed out. Lisa then gave the documents to Byakuya, who then sheathed his sword & sat down, passing the papers to Captain Kyoraku & Sakura gave the other set to Kakashi who then passed them to Hirako Shinji.

"Pleasantries?" whispered Ichigo as he raised his eyebrow & the 4 companions laughed. Isshin then shot them a glare to remind them not to make noise & they stopped laughing.

"I'm going to sit outside." whispered Renji, already turning & walking towards the door. "Yeah," replied Naruto, "let's go sit outside guys. This is boring. You coming Ichigo?"

Ichigo looked on at his dad. He was worried about him.

"Hey." Ichigo looked at Matsumoto "I won't let anything happen to him okay? Go with your friends."

Ichigo nodded & went out with Naruto, Renji & Sasuke. Matsumoto had become very familiar with him in the past few weeks. At 1st he had thought she was coming on to him. But then he realized it was something else. She was mothering him. She would scold him & she would show up at his quarters in the morning & make him get ready for the day & clean up. And she would even drag him to lunch & supper if he missed them. The only reason she never dragged him to breakfast was that she would make him breakfast while he & Naruto cleaned. Of course Sasuke wouldn't lift a finger. Eventually he had told his father about it & Isshin had just chuckled. It was all very strange. But one morning, he had woken up early & gone over to his Dads quarters to try to drag him to where Naruto, Sasuke & himself where being housed to witness Matsumoto bossing them around himself. What he had found explained a lot.

* * *

As he had entered the compound & walked across the bridge that crossed the Shihoin River, leading to the entrance to his ancestral home, Ichigo had gazed around & smiled to himself. Climbing the stairs he walked through the archway & emerged on the southern most pathway of the house. Turning left he walked down the wooden platform & then turned right & walked straight up. The oak tree in the middle of the garden had been a gift from Ishida Ryu 500 years ago! The history of his family boggled Ichigo's mind every day.  
As he turned right & walked towards the central room, Rangiku emerged from the Shoji, tying her belt back on & untousling her hair.

"Ichigo?!" she was surprised to see him. "Morning" he said. She quickly closed the shoji behind her as Isshin snored away & smiled at Ichigo.

The two looked at each other for some time. And then Rangiku walked up to him & grabbed him in her arms, holding him to her chest.

"I love him Ichigo. I always have." She then grabbed his face & looked into his eyes. "I hope you can accept me. I can never replace Masaki & I don't want to... but I can't let Isshin carry on raising you alone. Which is why..." letting go of all but his ears she then began to march towards his quarters, dragging him by the ears "I will not rest until you learn to clean up after yourself!"

* * *

As the 4 friends sat down on the veranda, Ichigo laughed at his memory.

"What?" asked Naruto "what are you laughing at?"

Ichigo looked back into the room at Matsumoto... she reminded him a lot of his Mom. In fact, he had noticed this from the very start. This was why he had not instantly fallen in love with her as most people did.

"Nothing. I'm laughing at nothing." "Bullshit!" retorted Renji "you are laughing at something." "Okay so maybe I am!" frowned Ichigo "Maybe you are!" yelled Renji & the two of them butted heads & scowled.

"Knock it off!" shouted Rukia as her & Nanao returned with more papers "or I will tell Matsumoto-san that you are fighting outside..."

Ichigo shot a glare at Rukia who gave him a knowing smile as she dashed into the hall. Nothing escaped her. It was like having an older version of Karin following him around all the time.

"So Ichigo," started Sasuke "now that you have found out about your family & beaten your enemy, what are you going to do?"

"Ichigo stared at the ground "I don't know Sasuke. I don't even know what it all means. Dad says he has to go through all of this because it's a matter of honour & that I can't break him out even if they arrest him. And he says that Ganju & Kukakku are my cousins."

"Cousins?!" exclaimed Rukia as her & Sakura came & sat next to them "that explains a lot..." "No," said Ichigo as he looked into Rukia's eyes "it explains everything." "Everything?" "Yes. Everything. Why that hollow came to our house. Why I could absorb your powers. Why Urahara helped me. Why I remained a Shinigami after your powers where taken. Why I could achieve Bankai..."

Rukia looked at Ichigo with a quizzical expression as he stared at the ground.

"Ganju & Kukakku being your cousins explains all that?" "No Rukia," Ichigo grabbed her head under his arm & rubbed his knuckles in her hair "my father being here, in that room, surrounded by all those people & everything he told me explains it all.  
Kaien, Kukakku & Ganju are the children of Kiba Kusshin, my father's older twin & by default, the head of the Shiba Clan. That is why Kaien & I looked alike. It's also why Kukakku looks like an older version of Karin & why she helped us."

Rukia's mouth was open. This revelation seemed to have more twists to it each time she heard it.

"Let me get this straight Ichigo... not only are you the son of the head of one of the 5 legendary families of soul society & perhaps the most gifted Shinigami there has ever been... but you are saying that Shiba Kukakku knew this the whole time?" "Yes & my dad is not the head. He was the head of the branch family." "But she never said a thing. She wasn't shocked or angry or anything..." "Yep. Because she had been keeping tabs on my father through Yoruichi & Urahara all along." "So that's why she said Uncle would be angry if she didn't help?" "Yes"

Naruto began to snore. The group looked over at him & saw he was out cold.

"He has a good idea" pointed out Sasuke as he yawned "I don't think we are meant to stay up all night till this is over are we?"

Sakura looked at Sasuke "But Kakashi sensei is on trial as well..." "Kakashi can handle himself & anyway, if they attempt to arrest us, we will destroy them all." "Sasuke!" "What Sakura?" "You can't say that..." "Okay I'm sorry Sakura." Sasuke smiled at her & pierced her with his gaze. Sakura blushed & pulled him in for a kiss.

Rukia looked at the dark haired boy. Her heart was racing in her chest as she did. Even now she wouldn't dare speak to him, lest she say something stupid. She scowled momentarily as she watched Sakura kiss him.

"Well he is right" smiled Ichigo as he clasped hands with Sasuke. "If they try to arrest us we will crush them. So we have nothing to worry about." "Especially not with that mother of yours watching over things." Jibbed Sasuke "She's not my mother..." Uchiha Sasuke laughed "I don't think she knows that." "Yeah... she does. It's... complicated."

Rukia smiled & looked at Ichigo as he blushed. She sometimes forgot the vast gap between their ages.

"It's not that complicated. She was your father's lover before he fell for your mother & now she is his lover again. But now that they both lost their loves & have found each other again they are trying to be more than just lovers to each other. So that probably means they are planning on getting married. Which means that whatever the outcome here... Matsumoto is going to end up living with your family."

Ichigo took the drawing Rukia had made to illustrate her point (in her familiarly terrible Chappie drawing style) & stuffed it into Naruto's mouth. The snoring stopped

"It's why she is mothering you Ichigo... because she is preparing to let go of her old lazy ways & take on the task of helping raise you & Yuzu & Karin & probably even Orihime. Because she loves your father & wants you to accept her."

"How do you do that?" asked Ichigo as he blushed like a strawberry "Do what?" smiled a knowing Rukia.

* * *

As he walked down the hill to the river, the young man in the brown tunic looked behind him to see if he had been followed. Positive that he had not been followed he touched his amulet & began drawing a circle in the air. Soon a doorway opened next to the tree on the river bank & he ran through it.  
As he disappeared through the portal, the other young man watching him from a distance dashed towards the shrinking circle. As he reached it, Ishida Uryu stepped through as well & found himself in The Dangai.

* * *

 _Wow, a lot of history decoded in this one. Hope it all makes sense. As for what Ishida is doing & who that guy in the brown tunic is... well let's see what happens next time on, Naruto & The Bleach Paradox. "Ja na" ;) - **AQ**  
_


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey! Its been a while since we saw our friends. A lot has happened & a lot is changing. I hope you like this chapter. FYI: I have always thought Tatsuki should have played a bigger part than she did (amongst other things...) so don't misunderstand her arc. She is destined in the Paradox timeline... also I have fixed some errors that where present when I last published this chapter & fleshed out some of the interactions. My bad. That being said... let's get back to, Naruto & The Bleach Paradox! - __**AQ**_

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Light & Darkness  
**

As he stepped through the portal, Uryu was a little surprised to find himself in the tunnel of the Dangai. He had not expected the youth in the brown tunic to lead him here, though he had not really known where his investigation would lead  
It was supposed to be a fact that none but those with a key could access this place. Even Urahara, who had found a way to access the Dangai had done so by creating the conditions required to mimic the presence of a time space key, but that required equipment & pure genius. What the brown tuniced youth had done was impossible.  
Uryu looked around to try & see where the young man had gone. He could not find him anywhere.

"At least they are still repairing this place & the new Kototsu hasn't been released yet" Pushing back his glasses, Ishida sighed & closed his eyes.

With nowhere to go, the Quincy sat down & began pondering both his situation & the mystery of the brown tuniced mans presence & disappearance. It was a conversation he was going to have to have with Ichigo, Naruto, Urahara & Kakashi.

* * *

As Rangiku walked down the gangplank to the jetty opposite the spot where Kurosaki Masaki had died, she could feel the wind blowing on her face & her shihakusho & hair danced in the wind. It was a weird sensation. Everything felt weird... she was still trying to explain it. Still trying to figure out what exactly had happened to her.

Only the silk pink sheets she had gotten from the 12th Division, which she still held in the package in her hand, reminded her that she was not dreaming & that the preceding chain of events had actually taken place.  
Urahara, who had been re-commissioned as a Captain & officially named Captain of the 14th Division of the now Gotei 15, had given them to her & Isshin when they had left soul society as a parting gift for their union.

Urahara had apparently bred silk worms that produced the strongest & lightest silk & had tasked the 12th Division to create:

"The most luxurious & lightest sheet of silk possible."

What had ensued was a project that resulted in the rearranging & reshuffling of the 12th Division & upon hearing of the hijacking of his fiefdom & co-opting of his minions, Cpt Kurotsuchi Mayuri had taken issue with this.  
Though Urahara had proceeded with the utmost subtlety & swiftest efficiency of one familiar with the inner workings of such a complicated network & though the intel gathered & relayed had confirmed that Cpt Kurotsuchi was currently on an extended hiatus in his private cave to rebuild his body after the events with the Arrancar... Urahara had not taken into account that Akon, the 3rd seat of the 12th Division & Vice President of the Research & Development Institute, had a way to directly contact Mayuri or that he would act almost as swiftly to alert him of the developments that had unfolded.

"Urahara Kisuke." he drawled, as he slowly walked into the Department of Technologies textile plant from an opening that had materialized on the far wall between 2 vats of boiling acid. "What exactly are you doing here, in my Division?"  
"Ah! Mayuri-san... To be honest, I truly wasn't expecting you today."  
"Expecting me... Your honesty means nothing to me, Urahara Kisuke. But what I do care about, is why these wastes of oxygen that are my slaves are here with pink dye on their fingers... when I am running out of cadavers in my laboratory?"

As he looked at the members of the 12th Division he smiled wide. They stood red handed & pink fingered, staring at the ground in pure horror. Urahara on the other hand laughed coyly.

"No, no, no..." he said as he covered his smile with his fan & waved the Captain of the 12th Division, Kurotsuchi Mayuri down "You misunderstand Captain. I merely borrowed your resources... as part of a joint gift from Soul Society to The Shiba."

Mayuri's bulging eyes didn't move at all as he stared at Urahara.

"Urahara Kisuke. Do not mistaken why I haven't removed your eyes from your sockets & worn them around my neck as a reason to assume that I would ever entertain the thought of being part of your stupid waste of time. I will probably have to kill one of these imbeciles to replace the cadaver they were meant to bring me."  
"Now, now Mayuri, I can only imagine the administrative nightmare that might be... perhaps this time you could call it a favour? Not that I am calling in the debt you owe me..."

Mayuri blinked once & a vein seemed to stress on his temple.

"Know that I have decided to ignore this slight in the spirit of our... co-operation. In fact, to save you from Ashisogi Jizo's bloodlust... I will erase this incident from my memory." Kisuke smiled, though his eyes had no mirth in them "Of course Captain & thank you."  
"Don't thank me Urahara! Make sure to erase all trace of your presence when you are done."

Turning on his heel, Cpt Kurotsuchi marched towards the door & paused next to one the technicians who was busy folding the finished sheet. He had been ironing it while his Captain had been talking to the 14th Division Captain & the other members of his division had been cowering in fear.

"You... come with me."  
"Sssir?"  
"Don't sir me, idiot! Come with me & bring that cloth with you." Without even waiting for his underlings obvious acquiescence, the 12 Divisions Captain began marching towards the secret entrance that he had emerged from.

As his intimidating superior marched briskly away, the blonde haired 12th Division member looked on at his Captain & then looked down at the sheet of silk in his hands. He then proceeded to finish folding the sheet & wrapped it in its packaging. Looking at the other blonde man in the striped green & white hat, white haori & clogs standing across the room, he then looked back at his superior & spoke up again

"But Captain... should I not give this to Captain Urahara? He did ask us to make it after all..."

Kurotsuchi Mayuri froze mid step. The other shinigami couldn't see it as he was facing away from them but his left eye began twitching rapidly.  
He had attempted to corner Urahara Kisuke, but his folly was that he had almost forgotten the perpetual hold his nemesis seemed to maintain over him. Losing face here had taken an immense amount of self control to swallow. But this... this insolence from one of his own lackeys in the presence of Urahara... this was the last straw. As if a switch had been flipped... he lost his composure. Turning around, he drew his Zanpakuto...

"BANKAI!"

The force of Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo exploded into being & everything was blown back. The shinigami found themselves sliding across the floor or flying through the air as all were thrown back into the rubble & debris... all except for 12th Division member Kuraudo Serif, who leapt into the air, onto the ceiling & was now crouched upside down looking upon a real & actual, Bankai.

"Hahahahaha! I see you want to become a cadaver then." laughed Captain Kurotsuchi, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo looming menacingly above him as he looked up at Serif with raging insanity in his eyes "That is most convenient for me."

Waving his arm up & pointing his katana towards the blonde haired young man above him, Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri sent his zanpakuto charging towards the his underling & Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo crashed through the roof of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute.

The 12th division members in & around the building fled as the rubble exploded up & came crashing down around them. Within seconds, the alarm bells of the Seireitei began echoing into the night as chaos ensued in the 12th Division.  
With only a split second to decide, Kuraudo pushed himself off the roof & flipped through the air, leaping between the falling beams & rubble & landed next to Urahara, who had not moved & was holding Benihime in his hand as giant slabs & boulders of concrete crashed around them. In his other hand, he was holding the packaged sheet.  
Kuraudo looked at his left hand where the package had been, only moments ago... it was empty.

As the dust settled, & the two shinigami came into view Kurotsuchi Mayuri paused & frowned. There stood the now 14th Division captain... unscathed amongst the chaos. Unscathed & still wearing his ever present smirk! Mayuri cocked his head sideways & spoke up.

"Urahara Kisuke... get out."  
"Of course Captain Kurotsuchi." responded Urahara. He then patted down his hat, turned on his clog & began walking towards the cracked entrance.

"You will of course leave my insect to me." smirked the 12th Division Captain "I will be teaching him about what happens when you do not obey my orders." Urahara paused & looked over his shoulder at his rival "I'm sorry, I can't do that Mayuri-san..."

Mayuri narrowed his eyes "Can't do what Kisuke?"  
"I can't leave this very loyal & talented shinigami to be butchered by you."  
"Oh? So is today the day then?"  
"What day, Captain Kurotsuchi?" Mayuri grinned wide "The day we kill each other, Kisuke."

Kisuke looked at Mayuri. It amused him to no end watching Kurotsuchi attempt to dominate him. Many of the shinigami feared the 12th Division Captain as he was both strong & deranged. Even a number of the Captains of the Gotei 15, who were the top 15 Shinigami of Soul Society, avoided antagonizing him for fear of reprisal. He was a terrible fiend. But the difference between everyone else's understanding of Mayuri & his understanding of Mayuri, was that he knew that Mayuri feared him.

There were only 6 people that had seen his Bankai. Captains Kyoraku, Ukitake, Unohana & Cpt-Commander Yamamoto had seen it as part of his Captains exam. Yoruichi had seen it as she had trained him to achieve it. But Kurotsuchi Mayuri had seen it as well. In fact he had been killed by it countless times, in his time as Urahara's test subject 0. It was the one secret he knew Mayuri would take to his grave. And it was because they knew each other so intimately & so primaly, that Urahara knew he scared Mayuri to death.

"No, Captain Kurotsuchi. It is merely the day that Soul Society thanks Kurosaki Ichigo for once again saving our world."

The tension was palpable... for a few seconds the two were at a stand-off. Their hands squeezed around the hilts of their Zanpakuto & the air shimmered thick with the weight of their dueling reiatsu... finally Captain Kurotsuchi spoke up

"Fine Urahara Kisuke. I will spare your life. Know that I have decided to let this go as a gift to The Shiba."  
Urahara doffed his hat & then continued walking to the now broken exit "Come with me Kuraudo Serif." he said as he called to the now exiled 12th Division member "Let us go & see if we can find a place for you in the 14th Division. We might need to change a couple of things about you though..."

Getting up, Serif bowed low to Captain Kurotsuchi & then turned & ran after Captain Urahara.

* * *

Thus the Kurosaki's, Chad & the now safe Orihime had been presented with Soul Societies gratitude at their farewell ceremony & Matsumoto Rangiku was gifted the most luxurious & lightest sheet of silk possible.  
She was also re-assigned to be the Lieutenant of the 15th Division, that would be based in Karakura Town along with the 14th.  
The 15th Division would be lead by the reinstated Captain Kurosaki Isshin & consisted of Isshin as Captain, Rangiku as the lieutenant & 2nd Seat, Ichigo as the 3rd Seat, Yasutora Chad as the 4th Seat & Orihime as the 5th Seat. Though also recognized as a member, Ishida refused to be named as a seated officer (he was meant to be 4th) as he was a Quincy & not a Shinigami & could not be seen to associate with shinigami...

The 14th division, of which Ichigo was also a part of (as an unseated member) as it was the Visored Division, had organized the ceremony at Cpt-Commander Yamamoto's request (& Hirako Shinji's chagrin) & had held it officially 5 months after the events of Fake Karakura Town at the newly restored & impressive Shiba Compound.

Shihoin Yoruichi had presented Rangiku with the sheets with a smile & they had hugged & kissed each other.

"Thank you Yoruichi-san." Smiled Rangiku "I will cherish this always."  
"I'm sure you will do more than cherish it." winked back the dark skinned beauty.  
Rangiku blushed red & quickly changed the subject. "So what about you & Urahara?" she asked with a wry smile.  
"Kisuke & I are fine as we are." waved off Yoruichi as she blushed in turn "There is really nothing we need to change."  
"You're so cryptic Yoruichi. I don't even know if you live with him or not. Or if you live anywhere in fact."

The two beauties laughed heartily & continued to talk about their adventures as they were joined by Yadomaru Lisa, Ise Nanao & Kotetsu Isane. On the other side of the dais, Captains Kyoraku & Ukitake sat with Captains Urahara & Shiba & reminisced over a bottle of Kyoraku Special Reserve Saki.  
Rukia, Renji, Naruto, Chad, Orihime & Uryu, who had eventually been retrieved from the Dangai by a rather irritated Akon, laughed merrily at Tessai's rendition of the day Urahara nearly accidentally blew up the planet until he was thwarted by Yoruichi absentmindedly using the dragons milk he had acquired for her weekly milk & honey bath.  
At Cpt-Commander Yamamoto's table, Unohana tried her best to convince their leader to try to have fun while Captain's Kenpachi & Kurotsuchi antagonized a very irritable looking Kuchiki Byakuya.

Sitting on the river bank not too far away from the congregated shinigami, Tatsuki stared blankly into the water. Though no one commented on it... she was now fully able to see the shinigami & travel to Soul Society. Not that they had allowed her to leave after Karakura Town was restored.  
The evidence of her encounter with Aizen remained & those who knew of what he had done to her could only pray that the sudden changes to her physiology where due to his reiatsu altering hers & not his DNA.

None was more preoccupied with this question than Tatsuki herself. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts in fact, that she seemed not to notice Ichigo as he walked up behind her & handed her some daifuku. She almost jumped out of her skin as Ichigo's hand appeared over her shoulder with the dessert.

"Hey Tatsuki, it's okay..." reassured the orange haired youth as he put his hands up to show he meant no harm.  
"Oh, Ichigo. I'm... I'm sorry. I was distracted..." said Tatsuki as she relaxed a little, giving Ichigo a fake smile. Her eyes told a different story.

"Are you sure you're okay Tatsuki?"  
"Yes, I'm fine."  
"I know I have been a little busy. I really should be spending more time with you. You've been through a l..."  
"Ichigo! I said I'm fine!"

Ichigo was taken aback. Quietly he sat down next to the dark haired beauty he had known all his life & she shifted a little bit away from him. Ichigo's expression was pained & worried. Realizing she was being unfairly harsh towards her friend, Tatsuki held out her hand & accepted his offering. Moving a little closer, she leaned against Ichigo & they ate their daifuku in awkward silence.

* * *

The past 5 months had been a whirlwind as they all adjusted to the new reality. The repairs & refurbishment of the Shiba Compound had taken up a lot of his time & he had hardly had time to spend with his friends as he busied himself with researching his family history in order to ensure everything that was meant to be repaired & restored was taken care of.  
The rest of his group had helped with the restoration of Soul Society & Karakura Town & had mostly spent their days enjoying the changing Soul Society until they were cleared to go. Tatsuki on the other hand had spent her days staring into the distance & keeping herself apart from everyone else. Though Ichigo had noticed this, he had not had a chance to really talk to her as Byakuya kept him busy with his "duties"

"Shiba Ichigo... as much as I hate to admit it..." Byakuya had began, as they drank tea one afternoon, "you are a member of one of the oldest noble families of Soul Society. Which means, that you are part of the history of Soul Society."

Ichigo sipped his tea in solemn silence as he listened to the older shinigami

"Though you have spent a lot of time trampling on the traditions of our culture & I suspect you intend to continue doing so... it is your duty to restore your house." Ichigo looked questioningly at Kuchiki Byakuya, who now looked back at him  
"What you have done ever since you came into our reality has seemed impossible. But the truth of your bloodline has shown that it was merely improbable. But now the weight of history has tied your deeds to the name of your clan & you will no longer be judged as merely a strong ryoka ally, but as a member of one of The Godai Kizoku. I can no longer look down on you as commoner, Shiba Ichigo. I can only look down on you as a subordinate."

Ichigo was a bit shocked to hear Byakuya's candor... this about turn seemed a little hard to believe.

Byakuya was now staring into the distance.

"Ichigo... make it your duty to rebuild your house & re-establish your name. Do that & I will acknowledge you. Until then... I will be judging you more harshly." With that, Byakuya got up & left the Shiba Compound.

It was this conversation that had driven Ichigo, to the surprise of his rather carefree & nonchalant father, to begin the restoration of the Shiba Compound & had taken his attention away from his friends.

* * *

"Ichigo..." He looked down a Tatsuki, who was looking up at him with teary eyes. "Yes Tatsuki?"  
"I've never told you how I feel, have I?"  
"How you feel?" "Yes" Ichigo was taken a bit by surprise by what he was hearing. "No, you haven't..."

Tatsuki stood up & stared over the river at the sun setting over Seireitei.  
"I'm such a fool Ichigo. I waited too long. I got too distracted. In the end you drifted away from me... & Orihime came into your life."

Ichigo was rooted to his spot as he looked on at the beautiful brunette standing in front of him, silhouetted by the sun. His heart was racing. "Tatsuki..." "I love you Ichigo." Ichigo was speechless. In the distance the sound of Orihime's laughter swam around his head as Tatsuki stood before him & confessed her love.

"I love you & I don't know what to do. Now... now I am ruined & you will never love me back." Ichigo stood up & embraced his childhood friend fiercely.  
"Don't say that!" "But it's true." "NO it isn't!" "Yes it is. It is Ichigo. I am ruined. Aizen raped me. You don't want to admit it, but that is what happened. Can you love me after that? Can you leave your pure naive Orihime... my pure naive Orihime, for the woman defiled by your worst enemy?"

Ichigo held Tatsuki tightly. Her every word was both dagger & butterfly. He had not realized until now how much he cared for Arisawa. It wasn't that he didn't know how to love, it was just that he had spent so much time trying to choose between Rukia & Orihime that he had not realized that part of why choosing had been so hard was because his heart was split in 3, not 2.

"Tatsuki..." "Let me go Ichigo. I'm not good company right now. I'm sorry..." as she said this, Arisawa Tatsuki pushed Ichigo away & walked off towards the barracks.  
"Tatsuki... Tatsuki!" She didn't turn back. As Ichigo prepared to run after her, Kakashi caught his arm. He had been observing their interaction from a distance as he had been watching over Tatsuki for the past few months.

"Give her time Ichigo. She is dealing with something that you can not understand. She is wrestling with a demon you can not defeat." Ichigo looked at the older man "What can I do?" "There is nothing you can do. Do you intend on leaving Orihime for her? After all you went through to save her? After confessing your love before the stars in your will to die for her & defy death for her?" Ichigo was at a loss for words, "I... I..." "Let her go Ichigo." The orange haired young man sat down & dropped his head in his hands. Kakashi sat down next to him & stared quietly into the distance.

As Tatsuki reached the 10th division barracks, she saw Sasuke sitting quietly by the fountain. He seemed totally unperturbed by the world around him.  
"You are always so calm Sasuke-kun" she said as she approached the dark haired youth."I try to always be calm" was his reply. "Where is Sakura?" "I don't know. Somewhere..." "Do you wanna keep me company Sasuke? I don't wanna be alone..." Sasuke looked up at the beautiful woman & didn't reply. "I don't know what you want from me..." "I don't know either. I just don't want to be alone right now."

Standing up, Uchiha Sasuke walked over to Arisawa Tatsuki & stood in front of her. They embraced & kissed long & deep. Picking her up in his arms he carried her towards his lodgings & the two disappeared into his bedroom.  
Eventually a disheveled & flushed Tatsuki emerged from Sasukes room & ran into Sakura as she was tying her belt. The two looked at each other awkwardly. Sakura didn't say anything, though Tatsuki could tell she was well aware of where she was coming from. Tatsuki waited for her anger. It didn't come. Instead she looked at her with pity. The tears rolled down Arisawa's face & she ran out towards Sokyoku Hill. She ran headlong with tears streaming & could feel her heart thumping in her rib cage, as if it was going to explode. Eventually she stopped & vomited in a rose bush near the top of the hill. As she wiped her mouth & walked towards the middle of the clearing where a Senkaimon stood in place of the Sokyoku, she was surprised to find Rangiku waiting for her. The sentries that normally guarded the gate where nowhere to be seen

"Matsumoto-san..." "Yamete, Tatsuki." Tatsuki frowned at her. "Don't act like you know what I'm going through... Don't act like you care about me! Don't look at me with those eyes. Why does everyone look at me with those eyes..." Rangiku didn't say anything. Instead, she held out her arms & waited for Tatsuki to come to her. Tatsuki was taken aback by the gesture. Her eyes began to fill with tears. She then slowly began walking towards the older woman. As she reached Matsumoto, she stood in front of her & looked at the ground. As Rangiku tried to embrace her, without warning, Arisawa Tatsuki leapt into a spinning kick & knocked the buxom redhead out.

As Matsumoto came to, she looked back towards the Senkaimon she had been standing in front off & could faintly make out the silhouette of Arisawa disappearing into the Dangai. Groggily she pushed herself up & began stumbling toward the gate. She had been keeping an eye on Tatsuki ever since that day. Though the other human kids had had their memories altered, hers was intact. She could still remember helplessly watching as Aizen had stolen Tatsuki's innocence & Gins life. She could still hear her cries & the look in her eyes as he had murdered her soul. It was exactly as it had been when he had stolen her innocence as well. The only difference was that she had fought him & he had been beaten her mercilessly before he raped her. Tatsuki however had been overpowered by fear & Aizen's reiatsu. Rangiku fell down in front of the gate & vomited. It was not the saki. It was not the concussion. She was nauseous because this was what happened every time she recalled what Aizen had done to her.

Getting up she steadied herself. She looked back over the hill towards the celebration. At some point they would notice their absence. But she would have to deal with that later. Right now she had to catch Arisawa before she did something even more stupid than what she had just done to Sakura.

* * *

"Ah! Ishida-san. I hear you have had quite the adventure in the Dangai." said Urahara as the young Quincy approached the 4 tipsy Captains sitting under the shade of a cherry blossom tree "I'm curious to know how you managed to get there without using a Senkaimon. Is this a Quincy secret technique that Ryuken has kept from me?" Ishida smiled a little & pushed his glasses back.  
"Im sure there are many Quincy techniques that Ryuken & I have kept hidden from you Urahara-san... but no. That is not how I got there." Urahara looked curiously at Ishida & the younger man motioned that they go to where Ichigo, Kakashi & now Naruto where sitting. Kuraudo Serif, who had been shadowing his new Captain quietly, excused himself from the company of the lieutenants & followed as well.

"There is something going on that we mite not be aware of." stated Ishida as they arrived by the river bank "It has to do with that boy you & Renji saved Ichigo. Who was he exactly?" Ichigo didn't respond. "Ichigo?" queried Naruto "What can you tell us about him?" "Not much. I know he was being hunted by a gang of men about some woman... but I don't remember too much about him..." Kakashi could see that Ichigo was fighting back his emotions as he tried to act like everything was okay, so he redirected the attention to himself "I'm sorry to interrupt or to seem unconcerned... but we need to start talking about how to get us back to our world & if you can aid us, Urahara." Urahara observed quietly how Kakashi shielded Ichigo & smiled under his fan.

"Yes, we do Kakashi-san." responded the blonde haired shinigami "Then what do you propose?" asked the white haired shinobi "I think we should help Ishida-kun uncover the truth about the man in the brown tunic... my gut tells me it mite lead us to your path home."  
"How will it do that?" asked a confused Naruto as he munched on some daifuku. "We will have to wait & see." replied Ichigo as he stood up. He was staring at the light coming from the Senkaimon on Sokyoku Hill. "But right now I think we should go to Sokyoku Hill."

* * *

As Rangiku emerged on the hill overlooking the Karakura river, she looked around to find Tatsuki. The sheet of rain falling from the sky obscured her view a little, though she remained unaffected by it without a gigai.  
As she looked behind her she saw the young woman, drenched from the downpour, walking towards the road as a truck sped down from the top of the street. Rangiku began running towards her. She didn't know how she would stop her in her spirit form, but she had no time to think. As Arisawa stepped in front of the speeding vehicle, Rangiku leapt towards her. As she sailed through the air, a bright light seemed to appear before her eyes & for a moment, Matsumotu could not see Arisawa. As the light vanished & she reached Tatsuki, Rangiku tackled her & they only just got out of the way of the vehicle as it screeched to a halt a few meters too late. The two women landed on the other side of the street & rolled & rolled until they had rolled down the hill. In the background the truck sped off.  
Gingerly they stood up. Rangiku's elbows where grazed & she could feel a little pain in her shoulder.

"Are you alright Tatsuki?" Tatsuki's eyes widened "Masaki-sama?" Rangiku looked quizzically at Tatsuki.  
"No silly, its me, Rangiku." "Then why do you look like Kurosaki Masaki..." Rangiku stood up "What are you talking about Tatsuki? Did you hit your head?" "No... Your chest is bigger than I remember it. Your hair is lighter & longer. You are a little taller... but you look just like Ichigo's mom. Yet somehow you look like yourself as well... what have you done Matsumoto-san?" "I don't know..." she whispered in shock, as she stared at the gangplank leading towards the jetty. Her hair & clothes where drenched with rain. "I don't know..."

* * *

 _Wow. Some chapter huh? We are gaining momentum. Let's see what happens next time on, Naruto & The Bleach Paradox. "Ja na" ;) - **AQ**_


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry for the delay guys. Writers block is a thing._ _Last time we saw our friends, we realized that things are not as they seem. I'm sure by now you have a few questions... So let's get back to, Naruto & The Bleach Paradox! -_ ** _AQ_**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Hope & Determination**

As Urahara, Ichigo, Naruto, Uryu, Kakashi & Kuraudo dashed over the rooftops towards Sokyoku Hill, the light of the Senkaimon faded away as the gate closed shut and a slight darkness seemed to descend on Seireitei.

By the time the group arrived, they found Sakura & Sasuke tending to the guards who had been felled by Tatsuki as she had made her escape. Though they had left the area at Matsumoto's request, they had shunpoed to the gate as soon as it was activated to try and intervene, before the gate between worlds could be used without authorization... but had been soundly thrashed by the taijutsu expert from Karakura Town!

Her fists had flashed and she had finished them simultaneously with an upside down spinning lotus whirlwind kick. Whether or not the rest of Soul Society was aware of the events unfolding remained to be seen.

"Sakura-chan. Sasuke. What happened here?" asked Naruto as he landed on the ground and rushed forward to where his team members where. "I'm not sure Naruto." replied Sasuke "We just got here."

The dark haired Uchiha looked at Sakura as if to get her to explain the rest, but Sakura didn't respond. Instead she continued to busy herself with the injured guards, leaving Sasuke to answer to their comrades.

"Where is Tatsuki?" asked Ichigo. No one replied. Ichigo narrowed his eyes as he saw the expressions on Sasuke & Sakura's faces  
"Where is Tatsuki?!" he repeated, raising his voice.  
"Calm down Ichigo" interjected Kakashi "I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation as to what is going on here. Right Sakura?"

Everyone looked at Sakura expectantly. She seemed oblivious to their presence as she bandaged and healed the 2 shinobi from the 2nd Division. Finally she got up and looked at everyone, avoiding Sasuke's gaze.

"She is probably gone to Karakura Town. She seemed... unsettled when I last saw her and by the time we figured out that she might be a danger to herself, she had gone. She is good. She is strong..."  
"I believe Matsumoto-san has gone after her" added Sasuke. "The guards told us that Matsumoto arrived 1st and had asked them to clear out. By the time the Senkaimon was opened and they had returned, she was unconscious and Arisawa-kun was about to step through."  
"They didn't stop her?" inquired a suspicious Uryu  
"They tried." answered Sakura.

Uryu Ishida was taken aback "Tried?"  
"Yes. They tried. But it would seem Tatsuki has developed quite the reiatsu since her ordeal."  
"I could sense her raising her reiatsu." said Ichigo as he stared at the ground. "I thought maybe it was to open the gate. But I guess it was her attacking the guards..."

Nobody spoke. They were unsure how to proceed. Sakura stared forward as if she was gazing at something in the distance.  
"We must go after her. We must stop her before she becomes a problem."  
"A problem?" "Yes Ichigo. A problem."

Ichigo stepped towards Sakura swiftly and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her towards him, "What are you trying to say?!" Sakura looked him dead in the eyes and pulled her arm free from his grasp.  
The others looked questioningly at one another. Sakura, still holding Ichigo's gaze, continued on unfazed... "She has been damaged, no? She is unstable. She is an unknown. We all treat her with kid gloves and yet you tell us that the man who took her was almost the embodiment of evil no? A master manipulator. A sick & twisted villain, whom we couldn't kill."

Sakura looked at Urahara. There was something different about Sakura as she spoke. A steel that seemed to have began forming around her  
"How do we know that she isn't his thrall?" "Sakura!" "No, Kakashi! Here we stand. You can all sense something is wrong here. With her. We must stop her, Kakashi-sensei."

Urahara looked at Kuraudo. They raised their eyebrows. Everyone now looked at Sakura curiously. Though she spoke harshly, they couldn't bring themselves to challenge her. Most were expecting Ichigo to say something... but it was Naruto that spoke up.  
"If something is wrong With Tatsuki-chan, we have to do something. I know our powers are a little off in this place but if there is trouble, we can help. We will save her from this copy of Orochimaru and we will have another party so Tatsuki can enjoy her daifuku under the fireworks. Right Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi smiled. Everyone's mood that had seemed to be drifting towards a questioning doubt began to rally. "Yes Naruto, we can help. But I would say our handicap is more than being just a little off. For some strange reason we seem to be only a third as powerful here as what we are in our world. It might be that we are adjusting. But don't expect to be able to take on everything by yourself this time. Naruto. Sakura. Sasuke. And you, Ichigo. We have a few friends to help us and we have Urahara-sama. We will get to the bottom of this right, Urahara?"

"Well, that is a surprise." added Urahara as he fanned himself and smiled, the shadow of his hat masking his eyes as he closed them "You are only a third as powerful as what your potential is?" He then looked up at the sky & the light of the sun danced on his chiselled, stubble covered jaw.  
"Does that mean we would be three times more powerful in your world? I wonder... but that is a thought for another time. For now, the only thing we can do is follow them. At this point we can't be sure of the extent of Tatsuki's breakdown. And more importantly..."

"More importantly we cannot be sure of whether or not Rangiku is in danger." said Kurosaki Isshin, as he emerged from the gathering mist and finished Urahara's sentence.  
He seemed taller and manlier as he walked up with his hand on his hilt, a match in his mouth and his haori billowing around him as it hung loosely about his shoulders. Miraculously he seemed as sober as a surgeon and with him was Yoruichi, Byakuya, Orihime, Rukia, Chad, Renji & Tessai.

"Dad?! What are you doing here?" "That is a stupid question, Ichigo. We have been given leave to deal with these ourselves." "Well it's not like I have been told that." replied an embarrassed Ichigo.  
"As Rangiku has already intervened, this mission falls under the command of the 15th Division. So I will personally be taking charge from here" The older Kurosaki smiled as he put his hand on his sons shoulder "and since we were meant to be leaving any way... I have requested that Rukia & Renji see us all off."

Ichigo looked at his best friends and smiled a little as they walked over and stood on either side of him.  
"And as I wanted to be sure that they do not overstep the boundaries of their authority, I have decided to chaperone my lieutenant and my beloved little sister this time." pointed out Byakuya  
"And I figured we might as well leave too, Kisuke." smiled Yoruichi.

"Well... It looks like we have our orders then. We will all back up the 15th Division in their mission to help Arisawa-san & something tells me that we might end up finding the answers to some of the other questions that have been plaguing as we walk down this path. Will your team join us Kakashi-san?"  
"Of course, Urahara-san." nodded Kakashi, "You can count on Team 7!"

"Why cant we just go & kill Aizen?" asked Sasuke. "Aizen is in an impenetrable sealed box that is unopenable for the next 100 years." replied Isshin, eyes closed as he rolled the match around on the corner of his mouth.  
"But we will find a way to bring him down no matter what."

The group looked on with determination as Captain Shiba walked towards the Senkaimon.  
As he reached the large gate, he drew his Zanpakuto, Engetsu & slipped the katana between the great towering doors  
"Well then..." said Isshin as he turned the blade & unlocked the way to the real world "Let us proceed with Operation Arisawa!" "Hai!"

* * *

The wind continued to blow strongly. Arisawa Tatsuki & Matsumoto Rangiku stood on the jetty & stared out into the night. Though the rain had died down, they were both still wet & the cold of the wind on their skin made them shiver uncontrollably. For the better part of an hour they had been standing on the pier with arms around each other as they tried to wrap their heads around their current circumstances. Something seemed a bit off & their instinct had been to hold on to each other as they looked to both keep warm & keep each other safe.

For Rangiku it was because she had taken it upon herself to look out for Tatsuki & for Arisawa it was more because Rangiku now looked like Kurosaki Masaki who had been like her 2nd mom & she was now glad to give in to Matsumoto's will to help her. Yet they could not shake the feeling that something was not right & they were holding each other tight because it seemed like the right thing to do.

"Kuro- I mean Matsumoto-sama, we should get going. I don't live to far from here & I'm sure my mom will be able to find us some warm clothes."  
"I'm not sure if that is a good idea Tatsuki. We have to get you back to Soul Society so Unohana & Urahara can make sure you are okay. We don't know what Aizen might have done to you. Also..." "Also you are all worried that I might be carrying his child right?" "Tatsuki..." "You don't have to coddle me Matsumoto-san. I know about the facts of life. Also I can deal with whatever happens okay? There are doctors in the real world too." "But it's more complicated than that Tatsuki..."

Tatsuki was getting angry with Matsumoto now. For a brief moment after her suicide attempt & Rangiku's transformation, she had forgotten that she had decided to run away from all of these people. To run home. Now she had that feeling again & Rangiku's arms around her & bosom pressing against hers felt more constricting than comforting. She shrugged off Rangiku's embrace & walked towards the river bank, staring into the water.

"Do you know that I met Ichigo here? He remembers meeting me at the dojo. But I met him here 1st. He didn't see me. He was so busy staring at his mom." She looked at Kurosaki Masaki's doppelganger "I was 3 & I was starting to remember faces. People's faces are so similar so it was hard. But Ichigo... its hard to forget meeting that guy. She smiled to herself & looked up at the moon as a tear trickled down her cheek.  
Just as Matsumoto was about to walk towards Tatsuki & wrap her arms around her again, a dark skinned young woman came into view on the other side of the river bank. She had a hat on & leather clothing & a smirk on her face that seemed a little sinister.

"Dirty boots!" with surprising speed, she leapt into the air & descended down between Arisawa & Matsumoto with a scissor kick. The ground exploded & Matsumoto leapt into the sky, using her shunpo to stand in the sky. Tatsuki however was thrown into the water.

"Tatsuki!" Rangiku dashed towards her charge but was intercepted by a tall, lithe young man with long black hair & a rather empty look on his face. As Rangiku stared into his eyes she felt paralyzed. As she realized that she was paralyzed, the man smiled & with a quick motion, slice at the beautiful redheads breast.

" _You are so irritating Rangiku-kun. Are you not going to let me come out & play?"_

Rangiku smiled as she swept up & intercepted his swing. Swiveling into a spin she sliced Heineko out and threw the man back. As he landed on the ground, the dark skinned woman appeared next to him with Tatsuki under her arm.

Standing there, the two looked on as the tall, beautiful shinigami began to raise her reiatsu & the air began to shake & shimmer. With a scowl, the woman in the hat & dirty boots spoke up

"Tss! Don't come here & think we will get affected by your stupid reiatsu..."

"Bankai!"

With alarming speed, a swirl of grey dust began blowing around them & engulfed the redheaded woman, swirling towards the sky in a tornado of ash. Without warning, the ash stopped swirling. In fact, it felt like time had stopped, but it hadn't. The ash then suddenly began to descend on the three figures on the ground.

"Bitch! Dirty Boots!" with a powerful leap, the dark skinned beauty leapt towards the wave of ash.

"No!" yelled the tall pale man & grabbed his comrade's arm. With graceful form, Tatsuki leaned forward and twisted her body, wrestling herself free from the other woman's grasp. Bending backwards she flipped into a one handed handstand kick that hit the woman in the solar plexus, before kicking towards the heavens in a two footed torpedo kick that landed square in her jaw.

As the man descended on her, with the wave of ash inches behind him, Tatsuki spun into her upside down spinning lotus whirlwind kick. Her feet connected with the mans jaw, shoulder & hip sending him hurtling towards Matsumoto's titanic Bankai. As she flipped back on her feet & stared at the tsunami of ash descending on her Tatsuki's jaw dropped.

" _Arisawa! You are too soft. Be like water. Be like stone. Break the barrier, or embrace the flow. But never surrender!"_

As her sensei's words drifted into her mind, she closed her eyes & her reiatsu began to radiate around her. As if by magic, a zanpakuto began to form in her right hand & her left.

"Ichigo..."

Arisawa Tatsuki leapt into the air & spun with her swords stretched out in a deadly arcing tornado of steel. The ash gave way as she cut through it & The Man was thrown towards the trees on the opposite side of the river bank as she burst through the wave. She then landed next to Rangiku who looked at her & raised an eyebrow. Tatsuki looked her up & down & blushed as she could feel the heat emanating from the voluptuous redhead next to her. She was now wearing a liquorice black leather bodice, skirt & boots with a flowing midnight black silk kimono & a glowing black staff in her hand.

"Wow." whispered Tatsuki. Rangiku smiled. "This is my Bankai, Kamishini no Arashi."  
"Kamishini no Arashi?" Matsumoto scowled, "Yes! Kamishini no Arashi. God killing ash."  
Tatsuki nodded. "I believe it really could do that." The two women laughed, until Matsumoto looked down at the blades in Arisawa's hands & her laughter faded as a worried expression replaced her mirth.

"How did you make those appear Tatsuki?"

Tatsuki looked down at her hands & as she stared down at them, her shihakusho began to turn silver & her hair as well. Matsumoto stepped back in surprise.

"Tatsuki?"

As her friend called her name, the silver headed beauty could hardly hear her as everything began to seem so far away.

" _Tatsuki..."_

A voice called in her head. As suddenly as the silver had appeared, her hair & clothes returned to their normal colours & she fell head first towards the ground.

""Tatsuki!"

* * *

As they ran through The Dangai, the motley crew of shinigami & their shinobi friends could feel the urgency emanating from Ichigo as he ran in front of the team. It was as though they were following him instead of the senior Kurosaki. But it had always been that way. Even those meant to be following the Captain-Commander had often found themselves following Ichigo's lead instead. But this time, it was more because of the fear that was gripping him that he was running harder than the rest.  
Tatsuki. Arisawa Tatsuki. She was his oldest friend. She was the one that didn't care about his persona, because she knew him before he had put it on. Even though they didn't like to mention it, she was also his first kiss.

They had been 14 & it was the middle of the 1st year of high school. After 6 months of making new friends & studying new subjects, they had not walked home together for a while. But on that afternoon as Tatsuki had packed her bag, her towel around her neck, she had looked up to see Ichigo standing in the middle of the quad. Tatsuki smiled to herself as she remember how she had tousled her hair with her towel & untucked her vest before she had picked up her sports bag & walked towards the orange haired boy who had had her attention for most of her life.

She had begun to feel a little more self-conscious as adolescence bestowed her with gifts of womanhood, but she had continued to focus on her disciplines & had forged her way towards her goals.  
As a remedy to the ills that came with her developing into a beautiful woman, whenever any of the boys would attempt to harass her, Tatsuki would put them in a headlock until they gave her a formal apology.

She had fast built a reputation as a dangerous beauty & had won the respect of the school within only a few short months of her high school career. Though Tatsuki never liked to admit it, she had become the "It Girl" of Karakura High School. It was perhaps this that pushed her to maintain her stoic persona.

Ichigo smiled at the little boy. "Okay then. Well don't worry about it. I'm sure you will find them. You know, if I had been around back then I would have been your friend."

The little boy pointed at the approaching girl in the vest and running shorts.

"Yeah, she is my friend. Ok. Ja na."

Tatsuki walked up to him & smiled "Ichigo." "Hey Tatsuki." "I haven't seen you..." "In a month."

"Wow, it hasn't been a month." "In fact its 2. That time at the bus stop we were in a queue."

"You are making me feel bad Ichigo..." The two looked at the ground. "Where is everyone?" asked Ichigo as he began to feel awkward with how close Tatsuki was standing to him for some reason.

As he looked around to see if anyone was gossiping about them, he realized that the quad & classes & halls seemed empty. The wind blew across the quad & ruffled Tatsuki's vest as it swirled. Ichigo, who had been trying not to notice the changes Tatsuki body had been going through, caught a glimpse of the side of her breast & began to turn red as he noticed that he could see her dark nipples through the porous white of the cotton.

"Hello, I'm up here Ichigo."

The young man snapped up & suddenly the image of Tatsuki choke slamming Sado after he had pointed out the colour of her thong when Chizuru had asked her to show her how to stretch her leg on the wall.  
But it wasn't anger he saw in Tatsuki's eyes as he had looked at her. Something about her seemed different. Her smile was warm & she smelled like shower gel & perfume.

"We live close to each other, but we haven't walked home together since the 1st day of high school." said Tatsuki as she absentmindedly ran her hand through her hair.

"Yeah. It's been a busy year." "Do you want to walk me home?" Ichigo smiled & took her bag "Yeah."

It was a warm July afternoon & they had taken the rout that went over the bridge by the river. The streets where quiet & Tatsuki had gushed about her day as she had won several awards & Ichigo had been less grumpy with the streets being empty. In fact, there had been a smile on Ichigo's face, which was what had stood out about that day.

"And then I had to find a place to put them because my bag was full with all the stuff I had to get for the thing with my mom tonight & Mrs Chan said I had to come & get another one. I couldn't believe it. I was-" "Tatsuki..." "I was going to tell her I didn't want it, but –" "Tatsuki?"  
"Ichigo don't interrupt me." She smiled as she pushed him. Grabbing her arm lightly, Ichigo pulled towards him & she landed with her arms around his neck & her breasts squashed against his firm chest. Ichigo's arms wrapped around her waist & they looked into each other's eyes.

"Oh Ichigo..." "Tatsuki" their eyes widened as they saw each other for the first time & their unrealized attraction engulfed them as they found themselves in a passionate embrace. Ichigo sighed & kissed her deeply. Tatsuki felt her knees turn into jelly & she fell into a cloud of emotion that swirled around her head like a lovely perfume. Ichigo's embrace was firm & he kept her from feinting to the floor. Instead she surrendered to her throbbing heart & kissed him passionately. After a few minutes, that felt like a lifetime, the two unlocked lips & looked into each other's eyes again.

"Tatsuki..." "Ichigo..."

* * *

"Ichigo!" Ichigo looked at Naruto who was now running next to him. "Yeah." "We will find them. We wont let anything happen to our friends." Ichigo smiled at "Naruto." "You really do never give up don't you." Naruto smiled "And I never go back on my word. That is my Way Of The Ninja." "Thanks Naruto."

Sakura pointed out that the light at the end of the tunnel was drawing near. Urahara then called them to a stop.

"Hey, Urahara, why are we stopping?" scowled Captain Kurosaki. "I don't know." Ishida shifted his glasses & scoffed, "You don't know? Then why did you ask us to stop." Urahara stared at the light. "The correct question I think is 'Why is that light getting bigger when we have stopped?'..."

"Its The Kototsu." pointed out Yoruichi as the group looked on. Hardly had she finished her words when the sound of blades & jutsu's was heard

"Getsuga..." "Tensho!" yelled the two Kurosaki's as they stepped forward and sliced their blades, sending a cross of reiatsu hurtling towards the approaching calamity.

"Susanoo! The blackest arrow... Amaterasu!" yelled Sasuke as he fired a bolt of black flame from Susanoo's bow, sending it after the Getsuga.

"Owari da..." scowled Naruto " Futon, Choodama Rasenshuriken!"

As the chakra shuriken sped towards the Kototsu it merged with the Amaterasu arrow & just as the Getsuga Jujisho reached its target, so did the Shakuton Zeroshiki Rasengan Bomb. The attacks hit simultaneously & The Dangai shook as they all detonated. It was an outstanding display of teamwork, but it was apparently not enough to stop The Kototsu.

"Guys... we're in trouble here." Pointed out Urahara. Just as the group was about to go all out, a portal appeared to their left and the young man in the brown tunic stepped out.

"Hey! Ichigo. Renji. All of you, come with me."

As everyone looked on, the stranger motioned towards the circular portal he had just emerged from , "Hurry!"

* * *

 _Phew! Crazy chapter that. Whats up with The Kototsu? Anyhow, we have set the scene & at last we have found Mr Brown Tunic!_ _Let's see what happens next time on, Naruto & The Bleach Paradox. "Ja na" ;) -_ ** _AQ_**


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